Rental Housing and Crime Perception in Bosso Town Minna Metropolis, Niger State.

Abstract

The problems of rental housing extend beyond tenure security and rental disputes. It includes the incidence of crime, aggravated by the prevailing environmental situations. The study examines crime perception of renters in relation to existing physical measures. Using the instrument of questionnaires, crime perception data was obtained based on renter's experiences and fears particular to their local environmental conditions. Using the descriptive survey method and scatter diagrams, the results elicited that offenders exploit local conditions such as poor light and water supply to perpetrate criminal acts. The greatest crime against property faced by renters is mobile phones theft, which is intensified by the absence of light. In addition. there is very little trust placed on the local police by the respondents. As such, the most dependable means of security at the disposal of renters is evidenced by the application of physical measures such as fences, security lights, gates and private guards. Given that Basso town is not free from the incidence of crime; the study concludes that the attraction to live in Basso is based on quietness as well as proximity and convenience factors.