A bill seeking to regulate the payment of property rent in Abuja has passed second reading in the Nigerian Senate.
The bill has also referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Housing, which is expected to work on it and return it in four weeks.
The sponsor of the bill, Senator Smart Adeyemi, said the legislation is intended to make life less difficult for people in Abuja.
Senator Adeyemi complained about the practice by landlords in Abuja who demand between one and three years of advance rent from tenants.
He said the Bill seeks to reduce advance payment for new tenants to three months, and at the same time protect landlords against tenants.
The Bill received the support of Senators such as Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Bala Ibn Na’ala, and Ibrahim Gobir.
However, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani strongly opposed it, stressing that the issue of rent should be determined by demand and supply.