Ebonyi Assembly passes law regulating scrap sales, house rents, agent fees

The Ebonyi State House of Assembly has passed a bill seeking to regulate the sale and handling of metal and electrical scraps, house rents and estate agency fees across the state.

The bill was passed during plenary at the House of Assembly Complex on Nkaliki Road and presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Moses Ije Odunwa.

The legislation, which takes effect from August 11, 2026, is cited as the Ebonyi State Sale of Scraps, House Rent and Agent Fees Regulation Law, 2026.

The law seeks to regulate the sale, possession, transportation and disposal of metal and electrical scraps, standardise rents and curb excessive agency fees charged by both professional and non-professional estate agents.

Under the new law, no person shall buy, sell, possess for sale, transport or dispose of metal or electrical scraps except as a licensed dealer in accordance with regulations made under the law.

Any person who violates the provision is liable to imprisonment for up to two years or a fine of not more than N500,000.

The law also provides that any landlord who obtains an order for possession of an accommodation through fraud, misrepresentation or concealment of a material fact commits an offence punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment.

It further stipulates that estate agents’ fees shall not exceed two per cent of the gross value of a transaction.

From the commencement of the law, the standard rent prescribed by the governor for different categories of accommodation shall apply, while landlords are prohibited from charging above the prescribed rates.

To promote transparency and professionalism in property transactions, all estate agents operating within the state capital are required to register with the Ministry of Capital City Development.

The Leader of the House, Hon. Kingsley Ogbonna Ikoro, said the legislation was designed to curb vandalism of public and private property, environmental degradation and exploitative practices in the housing sector.

Contributing to the debate, lawmakers including Hon. Victor Nwoke, representing Abakaliki North; Hon. Nwodo Aloysius Nwodo, representing Ebonyi North-West; Hon. Oluchukwu Ukie Ezeali, representing Afikpo East; Hon. Friday Ogbuewu, representing Ezza South; and Hon. Celestine Ogba, representing Onicha East, described the legislation as timely.

They said the law would help address increasing cases of scrap theft and arbitrary rent increases across the state.

In his remarks after the passage, the Speaker said the activities of some scrap dealers had contributed to the destruction of public and private property and other social challenges.

He said the new legislation would promote public safety and restore sanity to property transactions in Ebonyi State.

The bill was exhaustively considered by the Committee of the Whole, with lawmakers examining it page by page and correcting grammatical and drafting errors.

Following the consideration, the bill was unanimously passed by the House.