Factors Responsible for Discrimination against Single Adults in Tenant Selection in the Akure Property Market, Nigeria

Abstract

It is the aim of the sustainable development goal 10.3 to put an end to all discriminatory practices by 2030. However, despite the agenda, discrimination still thrives in the property market. The study identifies factor responsible for discrimination against single adults in Akure property market in order to determine its prevalence. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain information from a sample of Estate Surveying and Valuation firms in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. The obtained information was examined using Weighted Mean Score and Factor Analysis. Factor analysis is a statistical approach for describing variability in observed variables in terms of a possibly smaller number of unseen variables known as factors. The findings of this study shows that four (4) factors namely default in the payment of rent, susceptibility to crime and immorality, unemployment and un-definable movements majorly influence discrimination against single adults at tenants selection in the Akure rental market. Also, the research showed that other factors like poor attitude towards property maintenance, default in the payment of utility bills and service charge, not being security conscious, non-cooperative attitudes with co-tenants, not cleaning premises, subletting the property, having many visitors, promiscuity do not fuel the chances of being discriminated against by Estate Surveyors and Valuers at tenants selection. Therefore, this study recommends that housing equity lectures should be included in the MCPD programmes organized by the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) both at the state and national levels.