A bill for a law to amend the Landlord and tenant law, cap 101, laws of Enugu state, 2004 on Tuesday scaled through first reading at the Hallowed chambers of the Enugu State House of Assembly.
The bill seeks to checkmate the activities of Agents in the state who fix fees arbitrarily causing untold financial hardship to prospective tenants seeking apartments in the state.
Presenting the private member bill, the sponsor, Anthony Mbah, reveals that passage of the bill will streamline fees charged by property agents to 10% of the rent to be paid by a tenant, agents be registered and regulated by the Managing Director of the Enugu State Housing Development Corporation and a fine of five hundred thousand naira only (N500,000) to be paid by defaulters of the law when passed.
Section 108(1) of the Principal law, if amended, will read thus: “Enugu State Housing Development Corporation through its Managing Director shall see to it that any person who intends to operate as an agent in the state shall apply to the corporation to obtain a permit, and this permit shall be subject to renewal annually.”
“With effect from the commencement of this law and notwithstanding any provision in other enactments, agent fee chargeable for procuring any accommodation in the State shall not exceed 10% of rent paid by the prospective tenant.”
Mbah also proposed, “no tenant shall be caused to pay any further premium in acquiring any accommodation except legal fee payable to a qualified legal practitioner to prepare the landlord and tenant agreement and such fee shall not exceed 10% of the rent.”
On punishment for persons who may contravene the law when passed, Mbah proposed, “any person or persons who contravene any of the provisions of this law is liable, on summary conviction to a fine of N500,000 or imprisonment for a term of six months or to both such fine and imprisonment.”
If passed, the bill will undoubtedly help sanitize the sector as the menace caused by these agents who fix prices arbitrary, making rent exorbitant and out of reach for residents who are mostly civil servants.
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