STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

New Haven is noted for its busy and lively environment, the layout is endowed with constant water supply, ample electricity supply and tarred roads which makes accessibility convenient. In the past, medium and low-income earners were the major residents with tenement buildings mostly in use. However, in recent times the need for better comfort, family expansion and privacy has instilled an urgency for other types of residential properties such as duplexes, bungalows, block of flats and self-contain apartments. The change in users’ preference have caused tenement buildings to appear stale while duplexes, bungalows, block of flats and self-contain apartments fit into modern classification. Some property owners now go as far as converting their tenement rooms to self-contain so as to satisfy users’ demand. Lately, users shy away from buildings with old designs, single toilets, bathtub in bathrooms, inadequate parking space and unfenced premises. The demand for properties with bathrooms en suite is fast becoming a trend among users, this has brought worry to property owners whose properties do not meet these demand preferences. Government intervention in re-planning the layout would have alleviated the existed problem and saved landlords from fire brigade conversion of their properties even when they lack adequate financial capacity. It is against this backdrop that the study is delving into an assessment of user-demand preference for residential properties in New Haven Layout, Enugu.