Renting in Nigeria: the rules

Tenancy law is a state matter in Nigeria. Each state has its own tenancy or recovery-of-premises law, and the Federal Capital Territory is governed by the federal Recovery of Premises Act (in force since 1945). What they share: a tenancy exists whether the agreement is written or oral, the type of tenancy (monthly, quarterly, yearly) is judged by when rent is paid or demanded, the agreement can set its own notice periods, and the statute fills the gaps where it is silent. A landlord can only recover possession through the courts. Market facts, such as how much rent is and where to look, are on the city pages.

In Lagos State the main law is the Tenancy Law 2011 (Law No 14 of 2011, in force since 24 August 2011). It covers residential and business premises across the state, but not four areas: Apapa, Ikeja GRA, Ikoyi and Victoria Island, where the 2011 law says it does not apply (s1(3)). It also excludes staff and student housing of educational institutions, emergency shelters, and care, hospice, hospital and rehabilitation premises (s1(2)). Which law governs those four areas is unclear: the 2011 law does not say, one Lagos law firm's guide names an older Rent Control and Recovery of Premises Law 1997, and we found no official source that settles it. A tenant there should check which rules their agreement relies on and take advice before relying on any of the rules below. A tenancy agreement exists whether it is express or implied, oral or written, or for a fixed period (s3), but a written agreement is what everyone uses. Under the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority Law 2021, every tenancy agreement or contract document handled by a registered agent must be prepared by a legal practitioner with a seal, which is where the separate 'legal' or 'agreement' fee comes from (s32(1)(h)). The Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA) also registers tenancy agreements of more than five years (s6).

Pending in Lagos: the Tenancy and Recovery of Premises Bill 2025 passed its second reading in the House of Assembly on 10 July 2025 and was sent to the Committee on Housing. The Commissioner for Housing said on 26 May 2026 that it was still at committee stage, and a press report of 9 September 2026 says it has not become law. If passed, it would replace the 2011 law, apply to the whole state including the four excluded areas, and set new rules on advance rent, agents and recovery of premises. As of 2026-10 it has not been passed or signed, so it is not law and the 2011 law still applies.

The biggest upfront cost in Nigeria is not a deposit but rent in advance. Rent is quoted per year, and landlords usually ask for a full year before handing over the keys. In Lagos State the Tenancy Law 2011 sets a ceiling (s4): a landlord or agent may not demand or receive more than one year's rent in advance from a new or would-be tenant, and from a sitting tenant (one renewing after the first term) no more than six months from a monthly tenant or one year from a yearly tenant. Offering or paying more is also an offence, so the tenant who pays two years upfront commits it too. The penalty is a fine of ₦100,000 or three months' imprisonment, for either side (s4(5)) (Lagos State Official Gazette, as of 2026-10). LASRERA reminded practitioners in July 2025 that demanding more than one year's rent in advance is unlawful.

On top of the rent, landlords often ask for a caution or security deposit against damage. The 2011 Lagos law sets no cap on it. It only says that a security deposit, service charge or payment for services and facilities must be receipted separately from the rent, and that the tenant is entitled to a written account at least every six months of how that money was spent (s10). The Governor's Special Adviser on Housing said in May 2025 that caution, inspection and 'finder's' fees are not allowed (reported by Legit.ng, 15 May 2025); that is a government statement, not a rule in the 2011 law, and caution deposits remain common. The law has no deadline for returning a caution deposit, so put the amount, the deductions allowed and the refund date in the agreement and keep every receipt. Guarantors are a matter of agreement; no law requires or limits them.

Pending, not law: the Lagos Tenancy and Recovery of Premises Bill 2025 would require the security deposit to be refunded when the tenancy ends, less the cost of repairing damage to fixtures and fittings, and would require every extra charge to be written into the tenancy agreement. For sitting monthly tenants it would cut the advance-rent limit from six to three months, keep one year for yearly and new tenants, and raise the fine to ₦1,000,000 or three months' imprisonment (draft bill, House of Assembly; not law as of 2026-10). In the Federal Capital Territory the Recovery of Premises Act deals only with notices and recovery of possession and sets no limit on rent in advance or on deposits. A Senate bill to stop yearly advance rent in Abuja and move to monthly payment passed second reading on 1 February 2022, but we found no record that it became law.

There is no rent control in Lagos State or the Federal Capital Territory: the landlord sets the rent, and no law caps the amount or the size of an increase. Rent is quoted and paid per year in most of the market. The Lagos Tenancy Law 2011 requires the landlord to give a receipt for every rent payment, stating the date, the names and addresses of landlord and tenant, the premises, the amount and the period it covers; failing to do so carries a fine of ₦100,000 (s5). Paying by bank transfer and keeping the receipt matters later, both for any dispute and because a tenant who wants to sue the landlord would need proof of payment under the pending bill (not law as of 2026-10).

The Lagos law's one check on increases is s37: an existing tenant can apply to the court (Form TL11) for an order declaring a rent increase unreasonable. The court weighs the general level of rents in the area or a similar area, the evidence of both sides and any special circumstances, and can fix the increase at a specific amount. While the application is pending, it is unlawful for the landlord to eject the tenant (s37(4)) (Lagos State Official Gazette, as of 2026-10). The 2025 bill, which is not law, would keep this test and add no percentage cap.

Monthly rent: the Lagos State Government announced in May 2025 that it was preparing monthly and quarterly rent payment options for low-income residents, with a pilot being developed with landlords and other stakeholders; as of 2026-10 we found no official confirmation that it has opened to applicants, so check with the Lagos State Ministry of Housing before relying on it. Separately, the 2025 tenancy bill would limit sitting monthly tenants to three months' rent in advance, but it is not law as of 2026-10. For tenants, the Nigeria Tax Act 2025 (in force since 1 January 2026) gives individuals a rent relief: 20% of the annual rent paid can be deducted from taxable income, up to ₦500,000 a year, if the rent is declared accurately to the tax authority (s30(2)(a)(vi)).

In Lagos State, where the agreement does not set a notice period, either side must give: a week for a tenant at will, one month for a monthly tenant, three months for a quarterly or half-yearly tenant, and six months for a yearly tenant (Tenancy Law 2011, s13(1)). A quarterly, half-yearly or yearly notice need not end on the anniversary of the tenancy, but it cannot end before the tenancy expires. A tenancy for a fixed term ends when the term runs out without any notice to quit. Recovering possession then takes three steps. First, a written notice to quit if one is needed (Forms TL2 or TL3). Second, once that expires, or the fixed term has ended, a written notice of the owner's intention to recover possession giving at least seven days (Forms TL4 or TL5, s13(5) and s16). Third, if the tenant is still there, a claim in the Magistrates' Court or High Court (s24). The court can order possession on grounds including rent arrears, breach of the agreement, the landlord needing the premises for personal use, or substantial repairs (s25), and may give the tenant up to six months to leave (s27(4)). A monthly tenant six months in arrears, or a quarterly or half-yearly tenant a year in arrears, loses the tenancy on proof of the arrears (s13(2)-(3)).

Self-help eviction is a crime in Lagos. Forcibly ejecting a tenant or trying to, threatening or molesting a tenant to make them leave, damaging the premises, or demolishing or altering the building to eject a tenant without the court's approval carries a fine of up to ₦250,000 or six months' imprisonment (s44). Only an officer of the court executing a warrant for possession may put a tenant out, and never on a Sunday or public holiday (s42). The landlord must also not cut off or restrict a common facility or service, or seize the tenant's belongings (s8). A tenant who leaves after improving the premises with the landlord's written consent can claim compensation for those improvements (s6(2)).

Pending, not law: the 2025 bill would shorten the route for rent arrears: a monthly tenant two months in arrears, or a quarterly or half-yearly tenant three months in arrears, would lose the tenancy and need only seven days' notice of the landlord's intention to recover possession. Possession claims would go by originating summons, and tenancy matters could be heard at weekend and public holiday sittings (not law as of 2026-10). Abuja (Federal Capital Territory): the Recovery of Premises Act sets the same pattern when the agreement is silent: a week for a weekly tenant or tenant at will, a month for a monthly tenant, a quarter for a quarterly tenant and half a year for a yearly tenant (s8), then at least seven days' written notice of the landlord's intention to recover possession (s7) before going to court. The only copy of the Act we could open is a scanned copy published by SabiLaw, a Nigerian legal information website, not an official government copy.

In Lagos State, unless the agreement says otherwise, the landlord must not disturb the tenant's quiet enjoyment, must pay the rates and charges the law puts on owners, keep the building insured, keep common facilities and services running, leave the tenant's belongings alone, and repair and maintain the outside and common parts of the building (Tenancy Law 2011, s8). The tenant has the right to privacy, freedom from unreasonable disturbance and exclusive possession, subject to the landlord's limited right to inspect (s6). In return the tenant must pay rent on time, pay the rates and charges that are not the landlord's by law, keep the inside in good and tenantable repair (fair wear and tear excepted), allow inspections and repairs at reasonable daytime hours after written notice, make no alterations without written consent, and report structural damage as soon as practicable (s7). Electricity, water, waste and similar bills are normally the tenant's under the agreement.

Service charges are common in flats and estates, for security, cleaning, generators, water and shared areas. The landlord or agent must issue a separate receipt for them and give the tenant a written account at least every six months of how the money was spent (s10). Lagos's Land Use Charge, which consolidates the old land rates, tenement rates and neighbourhood improvement charges, is primarily the owner's responsibility; if the occupier is made to pay it, the occupier can recover it from the owner (Lagos State Ministry of Finance, Land Use Charge, as of 2026-10).

Fees on top of rent: the Tenancy Law says whoever engages a professional pays that professional's fee (s11). Two different 10% figures are quoted, and only one is in a statute. The agent's fee: the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority Law 2021 caps a registered agent's fee in a letting at 10% of the total rent collected (s32(2)(a)), a cap the Commissioner for Housing repeated in May 2026. The legal or agreement fee: the same law requires the agreement to be drawn up by a lawyer charging under the legal practitioners' scale of fees, and sets no percentage; the 10% limit comes from a state government statement of 14 May 2025 that agreement or legal fees must not exceed 10% of the annual rent. In the same month the Special Adviser on Housing said that inspection and 'finder's' fees are not allowed, also a statement rather than statute. The pending 2025 bill would cut the agency fee cap to 5% of one year's rent and make overcharging an offence, with a fine of up to ₦1,000,000, up to two years in prison, or both, plus repayment; it is not law as of 2026-10. Stamp duty is covered under 'For landlords'.

Nigeria has no address registration system like Spain's padrón, and no law lists the documents a landlord may ask for, so requirements vary by landlord and agent (the city pages cover what is usual locally). The identity number that matters is the National Identification Number (NIN), issued by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to the people its law covers. Banks, phone lines and many government services ask for it, and a new NIMC Act was signed on 26 June 2026 (NIMC, as of 2026-10). Lagos State also runs its own residents' register, the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA), which issues the LAG-ID; individuals registering as estate agents must hold a LASRRA number under the LASRERA Law 2021 (s26(2)).

Foreigners living or working in Nigeria for a year or more need a residence permit, the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC), issued by the Nigeria Immigration Service under the Immigration Act 2015. It is usually valid for a year and renewable. Applications are made online, and the fee is US$2,000 for employed foreigners, US$600 for students and free for foreigners married to Nigerian citizens (Nigeria Immigration Service, as of 2026-10). Expect a landlord or agent to want to see a passport and permit, and often an employer's letter, since a year's rent in advance is a large sum to hand over.

Foreigners who want to buy or take a long lease of land in Lagos, rather than simply rent a home, face extra rules: under the LASRERA Law 2021 a foreigner or foreign company investing in real estate must get the Governor's permission through the Authority, and land interests for foreigners are limited to 25 years including renewals (s28).

In Lagos State a tenant must not assign the tenancy or sublet any part of the premises without the landlord's written consent, unless the agreement says otherwise (Tenancy Law 2011, s7(6)). The law defines a sub-tenant as someone occupying premises sublet by a tenant with the landlord's written consent, and a sub-tenant counts as a tenant, with the same protections, including the court route for eviction. Someone who moves in through the tenant without the landlord's consent is treated as a 'person in unlawful occupation', and the landlord can recover the premises from them by summary procedure after a seven-day notice (s21 and s47). A sub-tenant or lodger who causes intolerable nuisance can be a ground for possession against the tenant (s25(2)(d)). No law caps what a tenant may charge a sub-tenant; the head agreement governs.

Because rent is paid a year ahead, the main risk is paying someone who has no right to let the home: a tenant re-letting without consent, a caretaker, or a fake 'agent' collecting from several people for the same flat. The LASRERA Law 2021 forbids a registered agent from collecting money from more than one prospective client for the same premises, requires money to be passed to the landlord within seven working days and receipted, and requires a refund if the tenant does not get possession within seven days of paying (s32(1)). Before paying, ask to see the landlord's written consent to any sublet and the agent's LASRERA permit, and pay into an account in the name of the person you will have a receipt from.

Pending: the 2025 bill would define a sub-tenant as anyone occupying with the tenant's consent, with or without the landlord's written consent, while still requiring the landlord's written consent to sublet (not law as of 2026-10). Our scam guide covers the common rental frauds.

To let in Lagos State: give a receipt for every rent payment (fine ₦100,000), take no more than one year's rent in advance from a new tenant (fine ₦100,000 or three months' imprisonment), receipt service charges and deposits separately and account for them every six months, and recover possession only through the court after the right notices. Self-help eviction carries up to ₦250,000 or six months' imprisonment (Tenancy Law 2011, s4, s5, s10, s44). Anyone acting as an estate agent, broker or property manager must register with LASRERA and hold a yearly permit. Practising unregistered is an offence with a fine of at least ₦250,000 for an individual or ₦1,000,000 for a company (LASRERA Law 2021, s26, s29 and s48). A landlord who uses an unregistered agent risks losing the money with no regulator to complain to.

Tax: the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, in force since 1 January 2026, taxes an individual's rental income with their other income at 0% on the first ₦800,000 of taxable income, then 15%, 18%, 21% and 23% in bands, and 25% above ₦50,000,000 (Fourth Schedule). When the tenant is a company, government body or other organisation, it must deduct withholding tax of 10% from the rent and remit it, and the landlord gets a credit for it; individuals do not deduct (Deduction of Tax at Source (Withholding) Regulations 2024; PwC tax summary reviewed May 2026). Stamp duty: a lease or tenancy agreement must be stamped within 30 days of signing, at 0.78% for terms up to seven years and 3% above, paid by the lessee. Leases with an annual value below ₦10,000,000 (or ten times the annual minimum wage, if higher) are exempt, and an unstamped agreement cannot be used as evidence in civil proceedings (Nigeria Tax Act 2025, s124 to s127 and s135, Eighth Schedule). In Lagos the owner also pays the Land Use Charge.

Short lets: Lagos has no dedicated short-let law. Service apartments and guest houses fall under the Lagos State Hotel and Tourism Establishments Licensing Law 2003, which requires registration with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (registration is free), and the ministry launched a new registration and licensing platform for hospitality businesses in June 2025. Estates can ban short lets in their own rules: Banana Island's ban in February 2026, reported by BusinessDay, is the best-known example. Check the estate's rules and your own lease before listing. Abuja: tenancy in the Federal Capital Territory follows the Recovery of Premises Act; tax and stamp duty follow the same federal Nigeria Tax Act.

In Lagos State, tenancy cases go to the Magistrates' Court, or to the High Court where the rental value is above the magistrates' limit (Tenancy Law 2011, s2(4)). That limit is ₦10 million; a bill to raise it to ₦25 million was committed to a House of Assembly committee on 31 August 2026 and is pending. The court must promote settlement and can send a tenancy case to mediation at the Citizens' Mediation Centre or the Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse without the parties' consent. A settlement there is endorsed by the court and enforceable (s32), and agreeing to mediation does not take away the right to go to court (s2(3)). Appeals from a magistrate go to the High Court (s45).

Free help in Lagos: the Citizens' Mediation Bureau (formerly the Citizens' Mediation Centre) of the Ministry of Justice mediates landlord and tenant disputes for free across the state; it reported receiving 117,575 cases and resolving 49,854 disputes (Lagos State Ministry of Justice, May 2026). The Bureau of the Public Defender gives free legal services to people who cannot afford a lawyer. The Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse is the court-connected dispute resolution centre, offering mediation and arbitration (fees apply); we do not link its website, which carried injected spam links on 1 October 2026. Complaints about estate agents, such as excessive fees, collecting rent for a flat they cannot deliver, or not refunding, go to LASRERA, whose Committee of Inquiry hears complaints and which can mediate and record a settlement enforceable in court; petitions alleging fraud are passed to the police (LASRERA Law 2021, s33 to s36). The Commissioner for Housing said in May 2026 that LASRERA had recovered more than ₦270 million from fraudulent agents between 2025 and 2026.

Rental fraud, such as a fake agent or landlord taking money, is a crime: report it to the police as well as to LASRERA. Nationally, the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria provides free legal aid to people on low incomes through offices in every state and the Federal Capital Territory. In Abuja, recovery of premises claims go to the courts of the Federal Capital Territory under the Recovery of Premises Act. This page is information, not legal advice: for a live dispute, get advice from one of these bodies or a lawyer.