Osun Tenants Decry Exploitation By House Agents

Residents of Osogbo, the Osun State capital, have cried out over alleged exploitation by house agents amid a deepening housing crisis.

Students, young professionals, and civil servants said they are being fleeced by agents who charge exorbitant fees under the guise of helping them secure accommodation.

Findings revealed that many of these agents, now operating through informal associations, inflate rental prices. A self-contained room that costs ₦150,000 directly from landlords is now pegged at ₦250,000 through agents. A three-bedroom flat goes for between ₦750,000 and ₦800,000 with agency fees, while two-bedroom apartments are priced from ₦500,000 to ₦600,000.

John Olaniyi, a victim, recounted: “I paid ₦3,000 to an agent who showed me houses without the owners’ knowledge and never got me anything. They fix arbitrary prices. It’s terrible.”

He blamed high unemployment for the influx of untrained agents, warning, “Some agents now earn more than civil servants. If not checked, one might even sell a house and vanish.”

Chairman of the Osun Civil Societies Coalition, Alhaji Waheed Lawal, described the situation as a “ticking time bomb,” citing lack of regulation and accountability.

“We need stricter laws and enforcement. Agents must be licensed and there should be avenues for complaints and justice,” he stressed.

The Osun chapter of the Youth Assembly of Nigeria (YAN) issued a seven-day ultimatum to the state government to address the exploitation or face mass protest.

At a press conference in Osogbo, YAN Speaker, Fatomi Dare Hammed, said: “What we are witnessing is no longer an individual problem, it’s a societal emergency. If nothing is done, we’ll stage the largest peaceful protest in the state’s history.”

YAN listed exploitative practices such as high inspection fees with no results, fraudulent advance payments, and inflated rents, particularly affecting students and low-income earners.

“We’ve appealed to the government and House of Assembly but got no response. This silence is disheartening,” Fatomi lamented. “We’re not anti-government, but we demand urgent intervention before the housing sector collapses.”