Kaduna to review rent control laws

Kaduna state government yesterday said it would soon review its rent control laws to conform to present day realities.
Deputy Director of Legal Grafting in the State Ministry of Justice, Mr Edward Andow, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna that the existing laws were obsolete and insufficient to address rent tribunal cases.
He said that Kaduna state at present, had three types of laws bordering on rent restriction, recovery of premises and rent control, which had been in operation since 1946.
According to him, a review of the laws would enable the tribunals to be vibrant and operate objectively.
Andow also observed that landlords and tenants needed to be educated on the tribunal laws,adding that most of them did not know their rights.
“You will notice that most landlords are doing things on their volitions without considering the legal implications because the tenants do not know their rights,” he said.
“Sometimes, tenants stop paying their rents from the period they were served quit notice, which is very unlawful.
“Quit notice has to be served six months before the expiry of rent; a tenant that settles rent annually, is expected to pay rents from the period of quit notice.”