LAGOS — Divergent reactions have trailed the proposed Lagos State Tenancy and Recovery of Premises Bill (2025/2026), with lawyers, landlords, tenants and civil rights advocates expressing mixed views over its likely impact and enforceability.
The Lagos State House of Assembly is currently considering the bill presented by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Lawal Pedro, aimed at reforming landlord-tenant relations and fast-tracking litigation to between three and six months.
The proposed law prohibits landlords from demanding more than one year’s rent from new tenants or more than three months’ rent from monthly tenants.
It also makes the issuance of rent receipts mandatory, caps agent fees at 10 percent, with some reports suggesting five percent and introduces a seven-day eviction notice for rent defaulters.
Several Lagos-based lawyers described the reform as a welcome development but stressed the need for effective monitoring to prevent abuse.
They warned that without strict oversight, the law’s provisions could be applied oppressively rather than as instruments of balance between landlords and tenants.
Rights activist Mr Spurgeon Ataene commended the initiative but called for structured engagement among government, landlords and tenants to address deeper structural concerns.
He questioned how errant agents would be sanctioned and whether the judiciary had sufficient capacity to handle a potential surge in tenancy disputes.
Ataene argued that affordability remained central to the law’s success, lamenting soaring rents across both Island and Mainland areas of Lagos.
He cautioned against self-help evictions by landlords under the guise of seven-day notices and urged government intervention in housing and food affordability to ensure the reform achieves meaningful impact.
Convener of Fight Against Corruption in the Judiciary, Mr Bayo Akinlade, noted that recovery of premises would still be resolved through the courts, meaning litigation pressures would persist. He urged that data on housing supply and tenancy disputes guide the law’s review and implementation.
Another legal practitioner, Dr Yemi Omodele, said Lagos had historically pioneered progressive reforms but often struggled with implementation. He observed that magistrates’ courts across the state currently handle dozens of tenancy cases daily and questioned how the new law would substantially reduce filings without broader systemic reforms.
While landlord Mr Saheed Olafimihan decried prolonged tenancy litigation that strains rental income and property management, he expressed cautious optimism that the reform could create a balanced framework. Tenant Mrs Grace Chibueze, however, voiced concern that the proposed three-month timeline might limit tenants’ ability to defend themselves adequately and urged stronger mediation and legal aid mechanisms, particularly through the Citizen Mediation Centre.
