The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola has expressed his displeasure over property owners collecting two to three years’ rent, saying it is causing more harm to the economy.
The minister who is pushing for monthly rent payments across the country, charged state governments to look at ways to make the payment of rent easier and more comfortable for tenants and landlords.
Fashola was speaking at the 11th National Council Meeting on Lands, Housing and Urban Development, in Sokoto State with the theme “Housing our people, by all of government and all our people”.
Fashola said, “I concede that the majority of the houses belong to the private sector and they expect legitimate income from rent for the properties.
“However, I hold a strong view that asking for two to three years’ rent in advance from working-class people as distinct from corporate tenants who may prefer to pay in advance does more harm than good to all concerned and to the economy.
“Interestingly, rent is a matter over which the Federal Government has no constitutional authority because it is a local matter and rightly so. But I use the platform of this meeting to challenge and provoke state representatives to thoughts and action about how we can make the payment of rent easier and comfortable for both tenants and landlords.”
The former Lagos State governor said it would be revolutionary when the working class started paying monthly rent as they received their salaries.
According to him, this would be possible if home owners see it as possible and that its adoption would give the fullest possible expression to the theme of this meeting.
Fashola added, “We have introduced Rent-to-Own into our acquisition/sale model for the disposal of the houses in the National Housing Programme.”
