The House of Representatives has introduced the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Rent Regulation and Tenants’ Protection Bill, 2026, aimed at tackling soaring accommodation costs and strengthening safeguards for tenants across the nation’s capital.
The proposed legislation, sponsored by Paul Nnamchi (Enugu East/Isi-Uzo Federal Constituency) and Ahmed Doro (Bindawa/Mani Federal Constituency, Katsina State), was tabled on Thursday. It seeks to regulate rental payments, halt arbitrary price hikes, and establish a structured complaints mechanism for tenants facing breaches by landlords.
The bill comes in response to mounting housing pressures in the FCT, where prospective tenants are routinely mandated to pay one to two years of rent upfront—a heavy financial burden on households already navigating a high cost-of-living crisis.
A central provision of the bill prohibits landlords, property managers, and estate agents from demanding more than 12 months’ advance rent as a condition for granting or renewing a tenancy.
It also bars landlords and agents from circumventing this cap through compulsory service charges, separate agreements, or artificial renewal terms designed to extract payments exceeding the permitted advance limit.
However, the bill provides leeway for tenants who wish to voluntarily pay for a period exceeding 12 months, provided the arrangement is initiated without coercion, threats, discrimination, or retaliation, and is fully documented in writing.
Additionally, the proposed law mandates written tenancy agreements before or at the commencement of a lease. These documents must explicitly outline the rent payable, payment schedules, tenancy duration, refundable deposits, additional charges, and the rights and obligations of both parties.
To enforce compliance, the bill proposes the establishment of the Federal Capital Territory Rent Regulation and Tenants’ Protection Authority. The body will monitor the market, investigate grievances, mediate landlord-tenant disputes, and possess the authority to order refunds for unlawful rental payments within 30 days of issuing a directive.
If passed, the legislation will offer tenants a faster, more accessible administrative route to challenge illegal rental demands, bypassing the lengthy delays often associated with traditional court litigation.
For many Abuja residents, the bill offers a glimmer of relief from the daunting task of raising exorbitant sums to secure housing.
According to the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), housing remains a severe challenge in the FCT, driving many residents into homelessness or informal settlements.
Experts note that Abuja accounts for at least 10 per cent of Nigeria’s national housing deficit, which currently stands at 17 million and is projected to reach 22 million by 2030.
This high cost of rent has created a paradoxical housing market: luxury properties sit vacant and deteriorating in highbrow districts, priced entirely beyond the reach of average workers, while ordinary citizens crowd into slums.
The new bill follows years of agitation for government intervention in the FCT’s rental sector. In October 2025, the House adopted a motion by Bassey Akiba urging the Federal Government to collaborate with subnationals to cap annual rent increases at 20 percent, particularly in areas newly serviced by public infrastructure.
Housing advocates have long criticized existing FCT laws—which focus predominantly on the recovery of premises—for failing to address systemic issues such as advance payment exploitation, rent-setting, and accessible dispute resolution.
A September 2026 policy brief jointly published by the Heinrich Böll Stiftung and the HipCity Innovation Centre underscored this regulatory vacuum, identifying the absence of a comprehensive tenancy framework as a primary driver of exploitative rental practices in the capital.
The new bill represents the latest legislative effort to bridge this gap and establish a fairer equilibrium between landlords and tenants in Abuja.
