What would you do if your landlord doubled your rent overnight?
When living in Lagos means most of your earnings disappear into rent, frustration is bound to follow—just ask Anchi.
Nothing is free in Freetown, as the saying goes. However, in Lagos, Nigeria’s industrial capital, nothing is free or cheap, particularly rent.
Thrown into a chaotic house-hunting race after a sudden 100% rent increase, Anchi must navigate unscrupulous agents who are only interested in their service fees and extracting as much money as possible from her.
Even after finally finding a suitable apartment, she must pay significant agreement and commission fees.
The flat ₦10,000 registration fee
When contacting a new agent, you must pay a non-refundable fee of at least ₦10,000 to begin the search and view available apartments.
Mr. Livinus, like Anchi, was required to pay a registration fee before he could view apartments.
However, after visiting the apartments, he ends up spending more than expected—between transportation costs and minor expenses such as lunch here and there.
The frustration: agents are untrustworthy, and rent prices are unrealistic.
Although she does not feel obligated to pay the registration fee to all agents, she is frustrated that they do not show her a diverse selection of decent apartments at reasonable prices.
Anchi exclaims when discussing the rent prices in Lagos State. ‘Crazy’ is one way she describes it. “I can only imagine someone paying ₦2 million for a house. How much does the person earn in a year? It’s mad. “I believe these prices are absurdly high.”
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Greed and lies
To emphasize her point, she adds, “Some agents even go so far as inflating the rent above what the landlord requests. If the landlord says ‘this house is going for ₦1.2 million’, the agents will turn around and say ‘it’s going for ₦1.5 million.'”
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According to Anchi, the agents continue to demand the usual agreement and commission fees despite their unethical behavior.
“They will make a profit of ₦300,000 while still charging the usual charges. This ultimately means that the landlord agrees to the scheme, leaving you—the unsuspecting tenant—to bear the costs. Since you started with ₦1.5 million, the landlord will expect the same amount the following year, even if he originally wanted ₦1.2 million.
Anchi believes agents and landlords work together to exploit people looking for a place to live. “Landlords are just as greedy.” Otherwise, they would not agree to participate in the scheme.
Is the law silent on this?
No, Lagos State has two main tenancy laws that govern rent regulations. They are:
- The Rent Control and Recovery of Premises Law (RPL) applies to middle- and high-income communities such as Apapa, Ikeja GRA, Ikoyi, and Victoria Island.
- The Tenancy Law in Lagos State (TLL): This law applies to all other parts of the city, primarily the mid-to-low-income settlements that account for more than 70% of Lagos.
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According to the RPL, landlords can only raise rent once every two years and must provide written notice to their tenants at least six months before the end of the current tenancy agreement.
It also states that when a tenant receives notice of the landlord’s intention to raise the rent, he or she may attempt to negotiate, accept the terms, or refuse the rent entirely.
If he or she refuses to pay the rent, the landlord may take legal action to remove the tenant from the property.
The TLL, on the other hand, requires a landlord to charge a rent that is just and reasonable in relation to the market value of the property.
Any tenant who believes the proposed rent increase is excessive may ask the court to declare it unreasonable.
The court is expected to evaluate the case based on factors such as the general cost of rent in the area, evidence from both the tenant and the landlord, and any unique circumstances surrounding the property.
Weak enforcement of laws
While these two separate tenancy laws are intended to regulate rent payments in Lagos and protect both landlords and tenants from exploitation, they have not been strictly enforced throughout the state.
“We paid ₦750,000, making us one of the highest-paying tenants in the area.” Anchi notes that in less than two years, the landlord has doubled the rent. “Who will pay the ₦1.5 million? There have been no new constructions, no improvements, nothing but a straight 100% increase.”
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Suggestions
In terms of solutions, Anchi believes that innovation has the potential to benefit all parties involved. “If there were an app that directly connects landlords with apartment seekers—cutting out middlemen (agents)—it could make a real difference.”
She adds, “Landlords could simply update their profiles with available spaces, allowing prospective tenants to bid or apply directly on the platform.” In other countries, house hunting is much easier—the stress of running from one location to another is minimal, if not nonexistent.”
