Rental and Tenement Housing Problems in Sapele Local Government Area, Delta State

Abstract

Rental/tenement housing problem is a persistent sustainable development challenge that affects livability, particularly in developing countries. The research examined the availability of rental housing, accessibility of rental housing location and neighbourhood facilities, environmental condition and overcrowding as factors of rental/tenement housing problems in Sapele Local Government Area. A total of 384 questionnaires were systematically distributed to household heads and 339 were returned. Data were analysed using both inferential and descriptive statistics. The result revealed that there is inadequacy in the availability of rental housing, and that the location of rental housing is highly accessible and rentals have high accessibility to neighbourhood facilities. It was found that there is an association between road conditions and the level of impediment to rental housing unit. The findings further showed that there was low crime rate and the study
area had low susceptibility to flooding. Rental housing was found not to be affordable since a higher percentage of residents spends more than 30% of their income on rent and the maximum occupancy ratio was 2 persons per room and of such, there is no problem of overcrowding and privacy. The findings also revealed that there is a link between the number of persons per room and the level of privacy. It is recommended that government should be more involved in the provision of low-income rental housing units and formulation of rental policy.