Residents of Asaba and environs have complained about the increase in house rents in the Delta capital, saying that the situation had become unbearable.
The residents laid the complaint on Sunday in Asaba, in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Mrs Blessing Ebimaro, a civil servant, told NAN that her yearly rent of N120,000 for a self-contained apartment, had been increased to N144,000.
She expressed regret that in addition to the rent increase tenants were required to effect repairs in their apartments when the need arose without any reimbursement by the landlord.
A trader in Ogbe Ogonogo market, Mrs Tobechuku Ukadike, said that last year she paid N96,000 for a bed-sitter, but the rent had risen to N120,000.
“The annoying thing is that this is the third time the landlord is increasing the rent in four years,” she said.
Miss Maureen Obi, a student of Delta State University, Anwia, near Asaba, said that she used to pay N7,000 per month for a bed-sitting room, but now paid N8,000 per month.
“Instead of paying N84,000, I will now cough out N96,000 for one year,” she added.
She said that the landlord imposed a N1,000 fine per month for late payment, or the tenant would be ejected.
Another woman, Mrs Akee Chukwuemeka, told NAN that her rent for a two-bedroom flat was increased from N220,000 per year to N240,000.
However, a landlord, Mr Ernest Okafor, attributed the rent increase to increase in prices of building materials and fees charged by agents who brought intending tenants to them.
