By Odinakachi Celestine
Residents in Rivers State, particularly in Port Harcourt, have raised concerns over the rising cost of renting houses, accusing agents of hijacking the process for low-income accommodations such as self-contained apartments and one-bedroom flats.
Some residents alleged that house agents often sideline landlords and inflate rental prices for personal gain. They claimed agents now encourage landlords to raise rents since their commission calculated as a percentage of annual rent automatically increases.
A major complaint is the 20 percent commission fee charged by agents, which residents described as exploitative and burdensome. They also lamented that agents act as gatekeepers by blocking direct access to landlords, insisting that all communications and payments must go through them.
According to the residents, this practice has created an unhealthy monopoly in the rental market, worsening the struggles of low-income earners in an already harsh economy.
They called on the Rivers State government to introduce and enforce regulations to check the activities of house agents, protect tenants, and make housing more affordable.
