The Kogi State House of Assembly has passed the second reading of a new tenancy law bill.
The bill aims to replace the old Rent Control and Recovery of Residential Premises Law from 2007 with a new law called the Tenancy Law, 2025.
The lawmaker representing Ankpa I, who is the sponsor of the bill, Akus Lawal, explained that the new law will focus only on homes people live in, not on business or commercial buildings.
Lawal said, ‘Fixing rents only on homes is wrong, so we need this new law. When it starts, the Tenancy Law will set clear rules, standards, and ways to manage rent matters’.
He added that since 2007, no clear rules or official documents have been made to guide rent prices in Kogi. This has allowed landlords to act freely without control, causing many rent-related court cases.
He said, ‘This bill will stop landlords from charging unfair rents, introduce taxes on rents, improve how rents are managed, and bring clear rules that everyone can follow’.
Other lawmakers agreed.
Shehu Tijani from Lokoja said, ‘People in Kogi want this bill passed quickly to stop landlords from exploiting them’.
Usman Adejoh, representing Idah, said the bill will help control landlords and tenants, adding that some landlords rent to bad people, which causes security problems.
A lawmaker from Ogori-Magongo said the bill will help people live peacefully together, which is the government’s goal.
The representative from Koton-Karfe said the bill should cover villages, too, because criminals sometimes use houses in villages for bad activities.
Deputy Speaker Comfort Nwuchiola Egwaba said the bill will help the people but is not meant to punish landlords or tenants unfairly.
Speaker Aliyu Umar Yusuf asked the committees to consult widely before the bill is passed.
Yusuf said, ‘We know landlords want rents like in Abuja, but our social services aren’t the same. Tenants sometimes damage property, too, so we need this law to manage things better’.
The bill was sent to the joint committee on the judiciary and finance for further review before final approval.
