Port Harcourt residents have continued to groan under exorbitant rent as they grapple with the present economic challenges.
They expressed their displeasure over the issue and described the attitudes of some landlords as insensitive.
The cost of housing is increasingly becoming unbearable in Port Harcourt metropolis when compared with other cities especially oil rich areas of south south geo-political zone.
House rent has risen above the reach of low income earners in the urban areas with a bedroom flat going for five hundred and fifty thousand naira and above.
While a two bedroom flat goes between seven hundred thousand naira and one point two million naira, a three bedroom apartment ranges from nine hundred thousand naira to one point five million naira making the city one of the most expensive places to live in the state.
A Port Harcourt city dweller, Mr. Kume Kingsley attributed the incessant increase of house rent to the influence of middlemen.
“Land agents are the cause because of the benefits they derive.
They also add to the cost of housing. If the landlord says one million naira the agent would tell the tenant to pay one point five million naira. They also falsify figures attributing it to the prices of building materials”, he stated.
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In her response, a tenant, Mrs. Marvis Amanwo identified internet fraudsters as a factor that had inflated the house rent as they are willing to pay large sum of money to acquire any apartment of their choice.
“I will say that Yahoo boys are also a contributing factor because they pay anything they are asked to pay.
If the landlord tells them anything they will pay.
They can even pay two million naira for a bedroom flat and a family man cannot pay the same since he has other expenses like school fees, and feeding.
If other landlords happen to hear about it they will hike their own rent. This makes housing expensive”, she stressed.
Another resident, Mrs. Juliet was of the opinion that the landlords decide on the rent irrespective of any factor.
“When it comes to increment , it is the responsibility of the land lord. If the landlord says four hundred thousand naira or five hundred thousand naira and the agent goes for seven or eight hundred thousand naira, it still depends on the landlord to make decision”, she noted.
One of the landlords who gave his name as Mr. Jack enumerated inflation and standard as the reasons for increase in house rent
“House is about the taste. If you build a house of standard the rent rises.
But if you build let say a three bedroom flat with low standard, the rent will be low.
Nigeria economy is harsh to everyone, the removal of fuel subsidy has made things expensive. If I have my house at four hundred thousand naira now I could not pay my children’s school fees and transport fare.
I have to increase the house rent to meet up,” he noted.
They called on the government to come-up with holistic policies to tackle the issues bedeviling the housing sector to offer succour to residents who are mostly civil servants.
