The Oyo State Government on Wednesday met with members of the Estate Rent and Commission Agents Association, to deliberate on the possible ways to curb rising cases of rent and commission extortion.
While hosting the leaders of the association in his office, the state Commissioner for Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Williams Akin-Funmilayo reiterated government commitment to protecting tenants and sanitizing the housing sector in the state.
Akin-Funmilayo, who stressed the urgent need to regulate the activities of house agents in the state, urged property owners to be considerate while giving out their properties for rent.
He explained that the purpose of the meeting was to rub minds and find a lasting solution to the issue, adding that there was a trending radio report on the high cost of House rent, in which his picture was attached, calling on him to take urgent action on the matter.
He further noted that the speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, while speaking at a meeting organized by the state Youth Agency, promised that a law regulating the activities of estate agents would soon be enacted.
The Commissioner explained that he decided in his magnanimity to first have a discussion with stakeholders to develop a position that could be presented to the legislature to guide its deliberations, to ensure that any law eventually enacted reflects the contributions of the ministry and practitioners, who are directly involved in the sector.
Akin-Funmilayo charged the association to come up with a clear position on the issue, which he said would be forwarded to the House of Assembly for further engagement.
He however urged the practitioners in the field to provide guidance, which the ministry would review and develop recommendations to be forwarded to the House of Assembly for consideration, noting that some of these inputs could be adopted and eventually incorporated into a law that would be binding on all and sundry.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Oyo State Estate Rent and Commission Agents Association, Okekunle Mutahir, commended the government on its various, which he said have positively supported their operations.
He said the improved level of security in the state has encouraged many people to relocate and settle in Oyo State, adding that the association was aware of public lamentation and has been working to address it for over a year.
Okekunle confirmed that inspection fees had become an avenue through which some bad eggs extort members of the public, stating that the practice had been abolished by the association since January 2025, appealing to the government to assist in flushing out such unscrupulous elements from its ranks.
