There have been complaints in Abuja over the skyrocketing cost of renting a self-contained apartment, with prices reaching as high as ₦1.5 million and ₦2 million.

This increase is attributed to the rising cost of living, inflation, and the high price of building materials, making affordable housing hard to come by in Abuja.

Many tenants who previously resided in central areas of Abuja are now moving to the outskirts due to the unaffordable rent hikes.

A resident of Utako lamented that her rent had gone up from ₦700,000 to ₦1.2 million, forcing her to consider relocating to areas like Karu, Kubwa, or Lugbe.

Chika, a resident of Mabushi, mentioned that she had been searching for a new apartment but was shocked by the inflated prices.

“I was hoping to move somewhere newer, but all I see are ridiculous prices. ₦1.5 million, ₦2 million, even ₦2.5 million for a self-contain,” she said.

Chika criticized landlords for inflating the prices of rent, attributing their actions to greed and blaming the absence of a regulatory agency in Abuja.

Meanwhile, landlords have defended the rent increase, citing the high costs of building materials.

Festus Onuoha, a property owner, pointed out that the prices of cement and imported fittings have increased by over 150%, making it difficult to keep rents low.

“You really can’t blame landlords,” he said.