Residents Decry Rising House Rent In Keffi, Karu

Some residents of Keffi Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, have raised concerns over soaring house rents, saying the escalating costs have left many tenants struggling to afford decent accommodation across the region.

Residents spoke in Keffi on Tuesday, highlighting how rising rents are straining families, forcing difficult choices between housing and other essential daily needs.

The rising cost of housing has become a major source of worry for residents across Nasarawa West Senatorial District, particularly in Keffi and Karu Local Government Areas.

Tenants said the situation had reached alarming levels, forcing families to make painful choices between paying rent and meeting other essential needs, such as food, healthcare, education, and other household expenses.

Some residents told NAN that they were considering relocating to the outskirts of Keffi and Karu, where accommodation was relatively cheaper, in a bid to cope with the financial pressure caused by high rents.

Mr Ben Nwankwo, a resident of Keffi, decried annual rent increases imposed by landlords without considering tenants’ economic challenges, and appealed to the government to regulate rent charges across the state.

“Last year, I was paying N130,000 for a two-bedroom flat, but the landlord wants to increase it to N200,000.

“Some landlords charge N300,000 to N400,000. The constant increase is worrying,” he said.

Miss Saraha Musa, another Keffi resident, accused landlords of insensitivity to residents, saying rent for two-bedroom flats now ranged from N350,000 to N400,000, while salaries had not increased to match the rising cost.

Mr Caleb Dikko, a resident of Uke in Karu, also lamented high rent since 2023, attributing the surge to the area’s proximity to Abuja, noting that many tenants now lived under immense financial pressure.

“I call on landlords to be considerate. Building takes time, but constant rent hikes without regard for tenants’ financial capacity are unfair.

“They should recoup their investments gradually, not immediately,” he added.

Mr Moses Osoku, a Karu resident, urged landlords to show compassion, especially to low-income tenants, saying the high rent was straining people who commuted to Abuja but lived in Nasarawa State.

“I moved to Auta Balefi, paying N150,000, but now a room and parlour costs N250,000. Landlords need to be considerate of the economic hardships facing tenants across the state,” he lamented.

Mr Johnson Bello, a landlord, attributed high rents to rising costs of building materials and property maintenance, emphasising that construction expenses and land acquisition had significantly increased.

“Do you know the current cost of a bag of cement or a trip of sand? Land acquisition is difficult, and building costs are high. This explains the rising rental fees,” Bello said.