Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, the housing commissioner in Lagos, during the 2026 ministerial press briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, in March, disclosed that plans were underway to introduce a new tenancy law to reform and sanitise the housing and real estate sector.
Mr Akinderu-Fatai said the Lagos State Tenancy and Recovery of Premises Bill — 2025, if passed into law by the House of Assembly, will curb arbitrary rent hikes, agency fees, illegal charges, and other exploitative and fraudulent practices, especially by unregistered estate agents.
The proposed bill, which has four parts and sections, most of which have subsections, will repeal the Tenancy Law, Cap. T1, Laws of Lagos State 2015.
Here are 10 things to know about the proposed Lagos tenancy law.
1. Section three, subsections one to four, stipulated that it is now a crime for an agent, to practise in the state without being duly registered under the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority Law 2021; collect rent money from a tenant while holding on to same from another tenant for the same building or apartment; collect rent money without issuing receipt to the tenant or remiting the received fee to the landlord within seven working day or otherwise agreed by both parties; demand or receive over five percent of the paid rent money, as commission or agency fee, from a tenant or landlord that engaged with him.
According to subsection five, agents found to have flouted any of subsections one to four commit an offence and are liable on conviction to the repayment of the sums collected and imprisonment for a maximum term of two years or a fine of N1 million or both.
2. Section five, subsection one stipulated that it is now a crime for a landlord or his agent to demand or receive from a sitting tenant, rent in excess of three months in the case of a monthly tenant, and in excess of one year in the case of a yearly tenant. Subsections two to four stated that, it is unlawful for a sitting tenant to offer or pay rent in excess of three months for a monthly tenancy, and one year for a yearly tenancy in respect of the premises; it is unlawful for a landlord or his agent to demand or receive from a new or would be tenant, rent in excess of one year; it is unlawful for a new or would be tenant to offer or pay rent in excess of one year.
According to subsection five, any agent or landlord who receives, or tenant who pays rent in excess of what is prescribed in this section, commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine of N1 million or to three months’ imprisonment.
3. Section six subsection one stipulated that a landlord shall, on receipt of rent from the tenant in cash, by bank teller, electronic transfer or any other automated means, issue a payment receipt. Subsection two stipulated that the receipt issued by the landlord to the tenant shall state the date the landlord received the rent money from the tenant; names and addresses of the landlord and the tenant; description and location of premises in respect of which the rent was paid; amount of rent paid by the tenant; and period to which the payment relates.
4. Section seven, subsection one pertains to the rights of a tenant to quiet and peaceable enjoyment of the premises, including the right to privacy; freedom from unreasonable disturbance; exclusive possession of the premises, subject to the landlord’s restricted right of inspection; and the use of common areas for reasonable and lawful purposes. Subsection two stated that where a tenant, with the previous consent in writing of the landlord, effects improvements on the premises and the landlord determines the tenancy, such a tenant is entitled to claim compensation for the money he spent for the improvements on being evicted or ejected from the premises.
5. Sections eight and nine relate to the obligations of the tenant and the rights of the landlord. A tenants is directed to, pay the rent at the time and in the manner agreed with the landlord, agent or both; pay all existing and future rates and charges payable by the tenant, excluding the accumulated bills by the previous occupant; keep the premises in good and tenantable repair, except reasonable wear and tear; permit the landlord and his agents during the tenancy at all reasonable hours in the daytime after previous written notice, to view the condition of the premises and to effect repairs in necessary parts of the building.
Tenants are also directed to, not make any alterations or additions to the premises without the written consent of the landlord; not assign or sub-let any part of the premises without the written consent of the landlord; notify the landlord where structural or substantial damage has occurred to any part of the premises as soon as practicable; and at the expiration of the tenancy, before or on vacating the premises, to put the premises back into a tenantable condition or be responsible for the cost.
Meanwhile, the proposed law stated that landlords have the right to conduct an inspection of the premises during the tenancy upon giving prior notice to the tenant; to insist that the premises be used for lawful purposes only; and to demand and collect service charges on the premises where required.
6. Section ten orders that a landlord should not disturb the tenant’s quiet and peaceable enjoyment of the premises, including not to remove the roof, cut off electricity, water supply or do any other thing that will interfere with peaceful enjoyment of the demised premises.
The section also directed landlords to pay all rates and charges required of him by law; not terminate or restrict the use of a common facility or service for the use of the tenants; not seize any item or property of the tenant or interfere with the tenant’s access to his personal property; effect repairs and maintain the external and common parts of the premises; and issue receipt to the tenant after payment of rent.
7. Sections 15 and 16 relate to the serving of notices to tenants by landlords or agents. Section 15 directed that landlords or their agents must serve notices to tenants only between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Section 16 stipulated that the servicing of notices on tenants shall be personal service, which includes but not limited to, service on the tenant in person; delivery to any adult residing at the premises to be recovered; where the tenant cannot be found or avoiding service, by delivering same at the premises sought to be recovered by a courier service; or affixing the notice on a conspicuous part of the premises to be recovered. It added that, provided that service shall be deemed to be proper if the person to be served has knowledge of the notices.
8. Section 19, explained steps a landlord or his agent should take against a tenant refusing or neglecting to give up possession of the property after expiration of his rent or after a written notice to quit. It stated that as soon as the term or tenancy on any premises has been determined either by a written notice to quit or at the end of a term certain and the tenant neglects or refuses to quit and deliver up possession of the premises or any part of it, the landlord or his agent may serve the tenant with a written notice, signed by the landlord or his agent, of the landlord’s intention to proceed to recover possession, on a date not less than seven days from the date of the notice.
9. Section 26 stipulated that a landlord is entitled to recover his premises from a tenant if the tenancy is proved to be for a fixed term certain; the period of the tenancy has expired by effluxion of time; and form or required notices have been served in accordance with the provisions of the law.
10. The bill, in section 28, stipulated that where there is a breach or non–observance of any of the conditions or covenants in respect of the premises, the landlord shall, before commencement of any proceedings, serve on the tenant, a notice specifying the particular breach complained of; and requiring the tenant to remedy the breach within a reasonable time or to make monetary compensation where there is no remedy for the breach.
