Governor Chukwuma Soludo has drawn the battle line against rent exploitation, warning house agents in Anambra State to stop collecting illegal fees from tenants or face state action. “House agents in Anambra State should get ready, we are coming for them soon,” the governor declared yesterday at Mgbuka Obosi.
In a statement that sent shockwaves through Anambra’s real estate circles, Governor Chukwuma Soludo yesterday vowed to crack down on house agents who impose extra charges on tenants after rent has already been paid.
Speaking at Mgbuka Obosi, while addressing a large gathering, the governor condemned the practice of agents demanding “commission,” “agreement,” “caution,” and other undocumented fees on top of annual rent, a burden he said has made housing unaffordable for ordinary Ndi Anambra.
“I heard that after tenants pay their house rent, agents still collect additional fees from them,” Soludo said. “House agents in Anambra State should get ready, we are coming for them soon.”
For millions of tenants, rent day is already a crisis. A civil servant earning ₦70,000 monthly is forced to save for 10-12 months just to pay ₦250,000 for a 2-bedroom flat. Then the agent appears, demanding another ₦50,000-₦100,000 in “fees” before handing over keys.
Soludo’s warning reframes housing as a matter of justice, not just shelter. “A home is a right, not an opportunity for extortion,” the statement implies. By targeting agents who “tax poverty,” the governor is positioning his administration as a defender of the poor against predatory middlemen.
Though Soludo did not detail enforcement measures, his words “we are coming for them soon” signal imminent regulatory action. Sources in the Ministry of Housing say the state may soon:
Publish an approved rent fee schedule with zero tolerance for extra charges.
Sanction and deregister agents caught collecting illegal fees.
Create a tenant complaint hotline for direct reporting to government.
Anambra, like Lagos and Abuja, has seen rent and agent fees skyrocket post 2023. The practice violates Section 4 of the Tenancy Law, which caps agent commission, but enforcement has been weak. Soludo’s declaration shifts that balance.
If enforced, this could be Soludo’s most people-centered housing policy yet, telling a story that is unfolding.
