Lagos to enforce one-year rent rule — Hamzat

File photo: Dr Obafemi Hamzat

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, says the state government plans to enforce the one-year rent payment provision in its real estate law to prevent landlords from demanding two or three years’ rent in advance.

Hamzat, who is also the All Progressives Congress Party’s governorship candidate, said the provision was contained in the Lagos State Real Estate Registration Agency law passed in 2025, adding that the government’s next priority was to ensure compliance.

He stated this on Sunday during a governorship debate organised by the Nigeria Debate Consortium in Lagos.

The debate was organised by the Nigeria Debate Consortium, a coalition comprising  The PUNCH, Channels Television, TVC News, TheCable and Vanguard.

He also outlined measures being considered to address housing affordability and other challenges in the state’s property sector.

“So the next chapter for Lagos is to enforce, to make sure. So people should not be asked 2 years, 3 years ahead because nobody gets salary three years ahead,” he said.

The governorship hopeful also said the law requires real estate agents to register with the state and be listed on an official database.

He urged residents to use the Lagos State Real Estate Registration Agency’s online platform to report issues and help the government monitor activities in the sector.

“So our appeal to the citizens is in terms of communication, to make sure that people use that site, because that is the only way we can track. Because this— when these things happen, government must also have the feedback,” he said.

On efforts to increase access to affordable housing, Hamzat said the government would complete ongoing housing projects and work towards reducing the time required to obtain property regularisation and title documents.

He explained that delays in processing land documents could increase the cost of housing, adding that the state had completed the automation of the process to enable residents to make applications online.

Hamzat also called for greater collaboration with private developers to ensure that housing projects were not concentrated in high-income areas.

He said developers undertaking projects in affluent locations such as Ikoyi and Victoria Island should also consider building in less affluent communities.

“As you develop a property, say in Ikoyi or VI, can you develop another one in Egodo? So those are part of the discussions that we will have so that as we are building for the rich, we’re also building for the poor, apart from what the government is doing to make sure that people actually have housing,” he said.

Referring to his manifesto, Hamzat said its “Everyday Dignity” component was designed to ensure that residents were not burdened by rent payments to the extent that their dignity was undermined.

“If you look at my manifesto, the E part is everyday dignity. What it says is people should not pay rent that demystifies their dignity. And what that means is we must work with landlords. We understand that we run a capitalist economy,” he said.

The issue of advance rent payments has remained a concern for tenants in Lagos, where demands for multiple years’ rent have been reported despite existing legal restrictions.

Section 4 of the Lagos State Tenancy Law 2011 makes it unlawful for landlords or their agents to demand more than one year’s rent in advance from a new tenant.

It also limits advance payments by sitting tenants, depending on the type of tenancy.

The Lagos State Government has also been considering reforms to its tenancy framework to address concerns about rent increases, agency practices and other disputes between landlords and tenants.

However, the proposed 2025 amendments should not be presented as an enacted law without confirmation of their passage and commencement.