Some city residents in South East Nigeria are increasingly accepting and adapting to a novel accommodation arrangement called plastic bottle homes.

A recent study in the region examined the satisfaction levels of individuals living in those homes, revealing that the majority of respondents expressed satisfaction with the strength, stability, and longevity of these dwellings.

The study also revealed that these residents valued the environmentally sustainable characteristics of the materials and their accessibility, indicating an increasing interest in sustainable housing options.

A Real Estate Market Report on the first half of 2025 compiled by Northcourt Real Estate, quotes the study as stating that the homes have additional attributes such as thermal insulation, soundproofing, and accessibility to qualified labour.

Though the study did not list high house prices and rents among the reasons for the acceptance popularity the novel homes have garnered in that region, close watchers of the region?s rental market surmise that the surge in rents is at the core of the reasons for the accommodation shift.

According to them, rent increase is such that it is, indeed, pushing people, particularly the low income earners, out of urban centres, citing Anambra State where house rent has become so high that many civil servants have been forced to relocate their families out of Awka.

Emmanuel Okechukwu, who lives in Onitsha, confirmed to our reporter that a 3-bedroom flat that used to attract a rent of N250,000 per annum, now attracts over N700,000.

Our correspondent gathered that in Ebonyi State, house rent has also increased in Abakaliki, the state capital, where a 3-bedroom apartment goes for between N750,000 and N850,000 while a newly built 3-bedroom apartment goes for between N1 million and N1.3 million annually.

Rent is also high in Enugu, particularly in middle class settlements like Trans-Ekulu, Emene or Awkunanaw, where a 3-bedroom flat goes for N700,000 and above. This excludes agents, lawyers and other sundry fees such as caution fees which are as high as N200,000 to N300,000.

In Umuahia, the capital of Abia State, our correspondent also found out that the influx of internet fraudsters known as Yahoo Boys, has contributed to high rent in the city. For instance, a 2-bedroom flat in the city goes for between N400,000-N600,000 per annum, while 3-bedroom flat ranges from N700,000 to N1 million per annum.

A 2-bedroom flat in a new building in a good location costs up to N700,000; a 3-bedroom flat in a new building goes for between N700,000 and N1 million. Some 3-bedroom flats with modern facilities at a good location cost up to N1.2 million per annum.

Analysts observe that, though the rent rise is a huge social and economic challenge, it is also a goldmine that offers investors insights into where opportunities exist for investment. (BusinessDay, but headline rejigged)

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