Anambra residents cry out as rents soar past N1.5m for two-bedroom flats

Residents across major cities and towns in Anambra State are raising alarm over the steady and steep rise in house rents, with a modest two-bedroom apartment now averaging N1.5 million per annum a sharp increase from N250,000 just a few years ago.

Findings from Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi, Ekwulobia, and even slum areas like Okpoko show that tenants are being squeezed by rapidly escalating rents. For instance, a newly built two-bedroom flat in highbrow areas that went for N500,000 in 2024 now costs about N1.5 million, while older buildings that rented for N250,000 annually in 2024 now command over N850,000 as of March 2026.

Housing agents and estate managers attribute the surge to high demand for two-bedroom apartments, which are seen as the “middle ground” for families and young professionals. Landlords are also introducing new service charges and fees, including “ego oji,” along with legal fees.

Residents say the hikes have forced many families to relocate to hinterlands or rent single rooms in the city while keeping their families in villages. A tenant along the Onitsha-Awka road saw his rent jump from N600,000 to N1.2 million in a single review.

Builders point to rising land costs, expensive building materials, inflation, and supply chain disruptions as key drivers. The chairman of the Landlords/Tenants Association in Onitsha noted that demand far outstrips supply, and the absence of rent control laws worsens the crisis.

In response, the Anambra State Government said it is planning to develop a mass housing policy in partnership with the private sector to address the housing deficit. The decision was announced after the State Executive Council meeting on Monday.