The Federal Government has sounded a note of warning to landlords and property owners to desist from exploiting their tenants or face the wrath of the law as will soon be enshrined in a new property and tenanancy regulations law to be operated at both federal and state level.
The warning was coming as part of the resolves contained in a six-page report of the 10th Meeting of the National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development held in Lagos between October 18 and 21, 2021.
It also warned landlords against the exploitative practice of collecting advance rent from tenants in excess of one year, directing all state governments to enact law to criminalise such practice.
The council which comprises the federal government, 36 states of the federal government and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) under the chairmanship of the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, also adopted rent-to-own schemes as an alternative funding strategy to bridge the country’s 17 million housing deficits.
Among others, the meeting was attended by Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Chairman, Senate Committee on Housing, Senator Sam Egwu; Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Housing and Habitat, Mr. Mustapha Dawaki; and all the commissioners of Lands, Housing and Urban Development from all states of the federation.
It directed all governments and developers to provide firefighting infrastructure such as fire service access, water for fire-fighting and emergency communication centers as part of strategies to mitigate the impact of fire disasters.
The council agreed that the federal government should as a matter of urgency establish the National Urban and Regional Planning Commission, which was proposed to serve as a national umbrella for the formulation of national policies as well as preparation of operative development plans for the country in collaboration with the states of the federation as stipulated in the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act (1992, No. 88).
It mandated the federal government “to drive a special urban planning status for Lagos State to engender consideration for special support in the focal areas not limited to infrastructure development, urban regeneration, massive social housing, integrated transport system in view of the state population density, dynamics, indices and influx.”
It further challenged the federal government “to facilitate, encourage and support interstate collaboration for effective integrated fiscal planning and urban development such as was envisaged with the Lagos-Ogun Development Commission.”
