₦airaland Forum

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b]Ebonyi Assembly passes bill regulating scrap trade, rents, agent fees
Ebonyi Assembly passes bill regulating scrap trade, rents, agent fees
Ebonyi House of Assembly has passed into law a bill regulating scrap trade, house rents and estate agent fees to curb exploitation and vandalism.[/b]

The legislation, passed during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Mr Moses Odunwa, is titled ”The Ebonyi State Sale of Scraps, House Rent and Agent Fees Regulation Law, 2026”.

The law, deemed to commence immediately if assented to by Gov. Francis Nwifuru, sought to regulate the sale, possession, transportation and disposal of metal and electrical scraps, standardise house rents and curb excessive agent fees.

It prohibits the purchase, sale, possession for sale, transportation or disposal of metal or electrical scraps except by licensed dealers operating in accordance with regulations made under the law.

The legislation proposes imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine of up to N500,000 to offenders.

The legislation also stipulates that landlords who obtain possession of accommodation through fraud, misrepresentation or concealment of material facts commit an offence punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment.

It further limits agents’ fees to not more than two per cent of the gross sum of a property transaction.

From the commencement of the law, landlords are required to comply with standard rents prescribed by the governor for applicable categories of accommodation.

The law also requires all estate agents operating in the state capital to register with the Ministry of Capital City to promote transparency and professionalism in property transactions.

Presenting the bill, the House Leader, Kingsley Ikoro, said the legislation was designed to check vandalism, environmental degradation and exploitative practices in the housing sector.

“This legislation is very important to us as a people because it will help check vandalism of critical assets, environmental degradation and exploitative practices in the housing sector,” Ikoro said.

Contributing to the debate, Victor Nwoke, Aloysius Nwodo, Oluchukwu Ezeali, Friday Ogbuewu and Celestine Ogba described the legislation as timely and necessary to address scrap theft and arbitrary rent increases.

The speaker noted that scrap dealers had caused considerable havoc in society, adding that if acted on, the legislation would promote public safety and restore sanity to property transactions.

The bill was considered clause by clause by the Committee of the Whole, with members correcting identified grammatical errors before unanimously passing it into law.

The House also adopted the state Auditor-General’s report on the consolidated financial statements of the Ebonyi Government for the year ended Dec. 31, 2025, which it said conformed with accepted accounting principles.

The lawmakers screened and confirmed nine nominees of the governor as coordinator and members of the management committee of Amasiri Development Centre, Afikpo Local Government Area.

The screening follows the reinstatement of the development centre, which had earlier been disbanded and delisted by the Ebonyi Government.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2026/08/ebonyi-assembly-passes-bill-regulating-scrap-trade-rents-agent-fees

"It further limits agents’ fees to not more than two per cent of the gross sum of a property transaction."

WONDERFUL!

EVERY state should pass a similar law.
Agents have become BANDITS.
Therefore, laws like this have become NECESSARY.

"It further limits agents’ fees to not more than two per cent of the gross sum of a property transaction."

This is the best of it all

So the mumu state lawmakers cannot outrightly scrap the fraudulent yeye agent fees?

This is a time Ebonyi State indigenes are finding it hard to eat well, let alone pay ridiculous fees in the name of renting an apartment.

Watch how those wicked agents will turn to coded armed robbers if implemented in Lagos. Imagine the below fee to rent a room self oo

Rent - N1.5m ( 2 years required)
Caution - N750,000
Agent - N900,000
Legal - N500,000
Service charge - N400,000

Wetin I Dey talk sef. House owners, developers and agents are crazy bandits

Wow. Highly commendable!

If them try am for Lagos here, many miscreants go go back village

This is very timely and necessary

This is a good step by Ebonyi Assembly.
Regulating scrap trade will curb vandalism, while capping agent fees and standardizing rent protects tenants.
Now we need proper enforcement so it doesn’t just remain on paper.

Well done.

Enforcement is the bae! Hope the enforcement agents got teeth to bite those lawless rogues (landlord and agents)?

Let every state in Nigeria follow ASAP

Very good law to be passed.

This is a serious sub national government that cares about the citizens of the state

This is part of our gospel to Nigerians, as they propagate the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us also hold the leaders accountable:

Governors
National Assembly members
House of Assembly members
LGA Chairmen
Councilors

They are the harbinger of Nigeria's development !!!!

Let all state of the Federation follow suit and pass similar laws immediately

These bandits called agents must go learn a skill

ACRI:
This is a serious sub national government that cares about the citizens of the state

No mind that governor forget all these audio stuffs. The man na werey, na him brothers dey do all those things pass.

Generally okay. But how does the government really regulate rentals considering the many variables involved (e.g. locations, costs which vary by individuals, locations and quality of materials used, general inflation, costs of borrowing, demand and supply, etc)?

Rayjay45:
So the mumu state lawmakers cannot outrightly scrap the fraudulent yeye agent fees?

This is a time Ebonyi State indigenes are finding it hard to eat well, let alone pay ridiculous fees in the name of renting an apartment.

Do you guys even think before you write?

Rayjay45:
So the mumu state lawmakers cannot outrightly scrap the fraudulent yeye agent fees?

This is a time Ebonyi State indigenes are finding it hard to eat well, let alone pay ridiculous fees in the name of renting an apartment.

Lagosians are very hungry this season, courtesy of your messiah Amoda Sangodele.

Are you better than Ebonyi people?, who Atleast can cultivate their own food crops.

We know you belong to those who exploit tenants, can't you see you're one of the economic bandits?

We hail Ebonyi state for this landmark law passed to protect the citizens.

I think Ebonyi state government should also regulate sales or cost of core building materials like Sand, cement and rods.... Nigeria is a capitalist economy. If this regulation is not balanced, implementation will almost be impossible.

Government should also initiate massive low housing across sub cities where they can lead by example thereby crashing the demand and cost for housing

Can all housing agents in the state be registered and licensed FOR FREE? This will help coordination and accountability

As far as the private sector still owns 90% of real estate, this solution would be short lived. Government should invest more in housing.

/
Agents and legal fees are rubbish.

Landlords should pay lawyers to protect their properties. No tenant should be paying any legal fees.

But then, everything is always upside down in Nigeria and prone to gross abuse.

/

Rayjay45:
So the mumu state lawmakers cannot outrightly scrap the fraudulent yeye agent fees?

This is a time Ebonyi State indigenes are finding it hard to eat well, let alone pay ridiculous fees in the name of renting an apartment.

Agents have families to feed too. Only thing is they are beginning to see the work as Yahoo. If you scrap agent fees, there'll be no more estate agents.

Las las na man dey do Mann

This is long overdue, I am glad state government have started looking into it.

However, I can see a loop hole those callous agents can exploit. They might say ooh agency fee 2% of the total rent, then they hammer you with lawyer fee, agreement fee etc until they extort as much as possible. I hope the law clearly state that those other fees are illegal and should not be collected by agents

Delta State where art thou? Please follow suit.

agents are unlegalised criminals without gun. If not that they don't have certificates, they would have been in the police force

Dynamicboss:
Watch how those wicked agents will turn to coded armed robbers if implemented in Lagos. Imagine the below fee to rent a room self oo

Rent - N1.5m ( 2 years required)
Caution - N750,000
Agent - N900,000
Legal - N500,000
Service charge - N400,000

Wetin I Dey talk sef. House owners, developers and agents are crazy bandits

Even person wey get house go dey collect agent fees on top when you are renting directly.

State governors should look for real estate foreign investors who builds low budget high rise apartments homes. That’s the only way to tackle this menace of housing in nigeria. There is housing shortage that’s why the price keep increasing. Although this bill really make sense.. at least it will stop those agents but what about landlords?

This is a brainless law and can't stand the test of time. All over the world, standard practice for agency fee is not less than 5%. Putting it at ridiculously low 2% will cause increase in rents and you can't have control over the cost the landlords decide to put their house because the market is autonomous and they work with prices of goods and services, in short inflation. You clamor for increase in minimum wage for workers to 1m naira per month even as law makers in the assembly wasting tax payers fund and you want agents to go home with paltry 2% shows that you should be ready for aviator kind of rent increment to complement.
its better to regulate them to their standard fees and not more or less the better

The major thing driving price is demand. The government should build more houses and reduce the tenement rate charged on landlords. Ironically, the governor's brothers are incharge of the private agencies collecting the rates

adenigga:
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https://www.vanguardngr.com/2026/08/ebonyi-assembly-passes-bill-regulating-scrap-trade-rents-agent-fees

Nice move, I would suggest that state governments start building houses on a hire purchase level.

Rayjay45:
So the mumu state lawmakers cannot outrightly scrap the fraudulent yeye agent fees?

This is a time Ebonyi State indigenes are finding it hard to eat well, let alone pay ridiculous fees in the name of renting an apartment.

man wey work suppose chop.. That 2% is a rather fair fee.. It means if gross house rent na 1.2million agent fee go be 24k, in my opinion that is fair

Rayjay45:
So the mumu state lawmakers cannot outrightly scrap the fraudulent yeye agent fees?

This is a time Ebonyi State indigenes are finding it hard to eat well, let alone pay ridiculous fees in the name of renting an apartment.

Agent is also a legitmate hustle as many people make their own money through the hustle and regulating it is the best way to go