The Lagos State Tenancy and Recovery of Premises Bill 2025 is designed to shift the power balance in the rental market. Here are the core provisions:
- Rent Advance Limits
- New Tenants: Maximum 1 year upfront.
- Sitting (Monthly) Tenants: Maximum 3 months upfront.
- Sitting (Yearly) Tenants: Maximum 1 year upfront.
- Penalty: ₦1 million fine or 3 months imprisonment for landlords/agents who demand more—and tenants who offer more.
- Agency & Fee Regulation
- Registration: All agents must be registered with LASRERA.
- Commission Cap: Agency fees are slashed to 5% (down from the common 10%).
- Remittance: Agents must remit rent to landlords within 7 working days.
- Eviction & “Self-Help” Bans
- Criminal Offense: It is illegal to remove roofs, cut off water/electricity, or block access to the property to force a tenant out.
- New Eviction Rules: If a tenant is in arrears for a “prescribed period,” the landlord can bypass the long “Notice to Quit” and issue a 7-day Notice of Owner’s Intention to Recover Possession.
- Rent Increase Control
- Right to Challenge: Tenants can apply to a court to declare a rent hike “unreasonable.”
- Anti-Retaliation: Landlords cannot evict a tenant while a rent-increase challenge is pending in court.
- Transparency & Charges
- Service Charges: Landlords must provide a written account of service charge spending every 6 months.
- Security Deposits: Must be refunded at the end of the tenancy unless there is verified property damage.
- Mandatory Receipts: All rent payments must be receipted with specific details (date, parties, property description, and period covered).
- Faster Legal Processes
- Timeline: Hearings must commence within 14 days of filing.
- Modernization: Courts are empowered to hold virtual hearings and sit on weekends or public holidays to clear backlogs.
What do you think about these reforms??
tenancylaws #lagosstatetenancyandrecoveryofpremisesbill2025 #landlordandtenant
