{"id":1858,"date":"2026-07-16T08:19:33","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T07:19:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=1858"},"modified":"2026-07-16T08:19:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T07:19:44","slug":"hidden-costs-of-renting-in-abraka-leave-students-struggling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=1858","title":{"rendered":"Hidden Costs of Renting in Abraka Leave Students Struggling"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Divine Eboseremen<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As accommodation costs continue to rise in Abraka, students of Delta State University (DELSU) say the financial burden of securing housing extends far beyond the annual rent. In addition to rent, prospective tenants are often required to pay agency, agreement, caution, and, in some cases, inspection or service fees, significantly increasing the overall cost of accommodation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A visit to several student residential areas around the university revealed that the total amount required to secure a hostel or apartment is often much higher than the advertised rent. Many students complained that these additional charges are either poorly explained or only disclosed after they have decided to rent a property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Osahon Prosper, a 300-level student, said the extra fees came as an unpleasant surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“I had already saved enough money for my rent, but when I got to the agent’s office, I was told to pay agency, agreement, and caution fees as well. The total amount was far above what I had budgeted, and I had to call my parents for additional money,” he said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Another student, Asagba Joshua, described accommodation expenses as one of the greatest financial challenges facing undergraduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several students said the unexpected charges forced them to borrow money from relatives, seek financial assistance from friends, or postpone other essential expenses before they could complete payment. Others explained that they eventually settled for hostels located farther from campus or in areas with fewer amenities because they could no longer afford accommodation closer to the university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the financial implications, many students expressed concern over what they described as a lack of transparency in the rental process. According to some tenants, they were informed about certain charges only after agreeing to rent a property, leaving them with little choice but to pay the additional fees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Responding to the concerns, a house agent, Ochuko John<\/strong>, defended the charges, explaining that they cover the professional services provided during the rental process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“Many people think agents add unnecessary charges, but our fees cover the time and effort involved in helping tenants find accommodation, inspecting properties, preparing agreements, and handling documentation. We always try to explain these charges to prospective tenants before payment,” he said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

A property manager also noted that rising operational costs have contributed to the additional fees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“The cost of maintaining hostels has increased over the years. Building materials, repairs, electricity, water supply, security, and other maintenance expenses are much higher than they used to be. While we understand students’ concerns, some of these charges help us keep the property in good condition,” the manager explained.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Despite these explanations, many students maintained that landlords and property agents should clearly disclose every expected payment before prospective tenants commit to renting a property. Some also questioned the purpose of caution fees, alleging that refunds are rarely made after tenants vacate their accommodation, even when no damage has been recorded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Housing experts believe that improved communication and greater transparency between landlords, agents, and tenants would reduce misunderstandings and make the rental process fairer for all parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also advised students to request a detailed breakdown of all charges before making any payment to avoid unexpected financial obligations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the student population in Abraka continues to grow, demand for affordable accommodation remains high. Many students have called on landlords, property managers, and relevant authorities to review some of the additional charges and adopt more transparent practices that will make housing more affordable and accessible for students with limited financial resources.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Divine Eboseremen As accommodation costs continue to rise in Abraka, students of Delta State University (DELSU) say the financial burden of securing housing extends far beyond the annual rent. In addition to rent, prospective tenants are often required to pay agency, agreement, caution, and, in some cases, inspection or service fees, significantly increasing the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1859,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"iawp_total_views":10,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,14],"tags":[31,25,510],"class_list":["post-1858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abrakametro","category-trendingnews","tag-abraka","tag-delsu","tag-housing-and-accommodation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1858"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1858\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1860,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1858\/revisions\/1860"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}