The Lagos State House of Assembly on August 14 held a public hearing on the new landlord and tenancy bill.
The bill titled “A Bill for a Law to Regulate the Relationship between Landlords and Tenants in Lagos State including the Procedure for the Recovery of Premises and for connected purposes” which has passed second reading and is awaiting the assent, seeks to reduce constant frictions between landlords and tenants and set standards for estate agents.
The bill, seeks to reform housing laws and protect both tenants and landlords.
It also seeks to redefine the legal framework governing tenancy agreements, rights, responsibilities, and the processes for eviction in the state.
Other provisions
The bill stated that:
• All agents must register with LASRERA.
• Collecting rent from multiple tenants for one property is now a criminal offence.
• Maximum agent fee: 5%.
• No more than three months’ rent in advance for monthly tenancies and one year for annual tenancies. Violations attract fines or jail time.
• No need for “Notice to Quit” if tenant owes rent beyond the grace period. Just a 7-day eviction notice required.
• Tenants must show proof of rent and utility payment to file or appeal cases.
• Disputes can now be heard online to save time and increase access.
• Tenants can take landlords to court over unreasonable rent hikes, and can’t be evicted while the case is ongoing.
If passed into law, it will ensure that all stakeholders – tenants, landlords, and agents – understand their rights and obligations.
This would not be the first time that Lagos is putting in place a law to regulate relationship between landlords, tenants and estate agents.
In 2011, then Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola put in place a law to govern landlords, tenants and agents relationship.
Under the law, landlords or their agents, for instance, cannot demand or receive rent exceeding six months from a monthly tenant or one year from a yearly tenant.
Tenants also have the right to quiet enjoyment of the property and the right to a receipt for rent payments among others.
Given the peculiarity of Lagos State and past attempts, can the new 2025 landlord and tenats law be effectively enforced?
Some tenants welcomed the development, arguing that agents exploit vulnerable Nigerians by charging unauthorised fees and inflating rents. Some however approached the issue with caution.
A builder, Lateef Rufai, stressed that many landlords are inaccessible without intermediaries, and warned that sidelining agents could drive some into social vices. He suggested creating a legal framework to regulate and separate credible agents from exploitative ones.
Agents themselves have defended their work, saying they provide valuable services in connecting landlords and tenants. Some argued that high inflation and rising demand for housing were the real drivers of escalating rents, not agency fees. An agent in Abakaliki pointed out that rents for one-room apartments in the city have doubled since early 2025, blaming economic pressures rather than the activities of middlemen.
A landlord, Odion Efe, said the bill was pro landlords and that the government should think through the social implications of the bill. He said that it’s anti development and wondered how a government that didn’t contribute positively to building his house but instead made it very difficult by their cumbersome and costly approval payments and high cost of building would decide for him how to charge his tenants.
