On Wednesday, on-air personality Gbemi Olateru Olagbegi sparked a conversation about the high cost of housing in Lagos.
Olagbegi’s question, “So you guys are okay with the high rent in Lagos?” triggered reactions from many residents. They began to share experiences of sudden rent increments from their landlords.
So you guys are ok with the high rent in Lagos ????— Gbemi O-O (@GbemiOO) February 19, 2025
Some users on social media have shared their frustrations over sudden and steep rent increases in Lagos. One user said she was hit with a 120 per cent rent hike without prior notice, while another reported that her self-contained apartment’s rent rose by 50 per cent without justification.
Others echoed similar experiences, with one stating that he had never paid the same rent twice since moving in due to constant increments. Another user recounted moving out after a 100 per cent rent increase, only to face a 50 per cent hike in his next apartment just three months before renewal.
Many noted that landlords in Lagos routinely double rent and threaten eviction if tenants refuse to comply.
Sisi Yemmie, a popular cook, said her landlords slammed her with a 120 per cent rent increase without notice. “They hit me with a 120% rent increase. I don’t know what to do.”
Ezeani, another Lagos resident on X, also wrote that the landlord suddenly increased her self-contained apartment rent by 50 per cent without justification.
“Boom!!! Everything is expensive! They hit us with a 50% rent increase. Half my neighbours are just saying, ‘Well… it is what it is.’ It feels like I’m the only one taking this seriously. How can you increase rent by the cost of an entire self-contained apartment? This can’t be the prime of my life, to be honest,” she shared.
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In response to Ezeani’s comment, Iamboy_12, stated that he moved to his new apartment, and has since never paid the same twice because there is always an increment.
“My current apartment, since I got here I have not paid the same amount. Every year, it’s an increase. And we are threatened to leave if we can’t cope,” he explained.
Abduljeleel said he moved out of his previous apartment in the state because the landlord increased the rent by 100 per cent, only to move into a new one where rent was increased by 50 per cent three months before its renewal without cause.
“I moved out of my apartment last year because my landlady increased the rent by 100 per cent. The new apartment I moved into exactly three months before my rent renewal, this man sent a letter of a 50 per cent increase. I’m just tired of Lagos landlords,” Abduljeleel wrote on Thursday.
Rhashydah also wrote that it had suddenly become a norm for landlords in Lagos to increase house rent by 100 per cent and when tenants complain, they are threatened with eviction.
“100 per cent increase has been flying around since late last year. Who do we complain to? If we don’t pay they give quit notice.”
WHAT DOES THE LAGOS TENACY LAW SAY?
This conversation has also sparked concerns about what law protects tenants in Lagos against arbitrary rent increases. The Lagos State Tenancy Law of 2011 guides the relationship and agreement between landlords and tenants.
It also regulates tenancy agreements, rights and obligations of the contract.
Section 37 of this law provides legal protection for tenants against unreasonable rent increases. It allows tenants to challenge excessive rent hikes in court by submitting Form TL 11 an official document that an existing tenant must submit to the court to challenge an unreasonable rent increase.
In court, the increase will be assessed based on local rent trends, witness testimony and any special circumstances related to the property. If the court finds the increase unreasonable, it can adjust the rent to a fair amount. It prohibits landlords from evicting tenants while the case is being decided.
“37.-(1)Subject to any agreement to the contrary, an existing tenant may apply as in form TL 11 to the Court for an Order declaring that the increase in rent payable under a tenancy agreement is unreasonable,” the section reads in parts.
“(3) If satisfied that the increase in the rent is unreasonable, the Court may order as in form TL13 that the increase in the rent be changed to a specific amount.
“(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of any Law, it shall be unlawful for a landlord to eject a tenant from any premises pending the determination of the action.”
LAWS LANDLORDS CAN EXPLOIT
Under the 2011 Tenancy Law, several laws can be exploited by landlords who seek no justification for rent increment. Some of these laws such as Section 37 give no clear rent control, others exempt certain areas from the Tenancy Law and some sections are unclear on the obligations of house owners to their tenants.
For instance, Section 1 (3) exempts high-value areas like Ikoyi, Ikeja Government Reserved Area, Victoria Island and Apapa, giving house owners in these areas the freedom to set extreme rent rates.
House owners in these areas can evict tenants who do not comply with their rent rates whether they are hiked by 100 per cent or more.
“This Law shall apply to all premises within Lagos State, including business and residential premises unless otherwise specified.(2) This Law shall not apply to: (3) The following areas: (i) Apapa: (ii) Ikeja GRA.; (iii) Ikoyi; and (iv) Victoria Island,” it states.
However, the same Section 37 (2) can be used to empower landlords when they arbitrarily increase rents as it gives no limit to the increments house owners can order.
There is also no predefined maximum limit on rent hikes which makes it possible for landlords to increase their rents with high percentages.
“(2) In determining whether an increase in the rent is unreasonable, the Court shall issue a hearing notice as in Form TL 12 to the Landlord and shall consider the application on the following grounds – (a) the general level of rents in the locality or a similar locality for comparative analysis; (b) evidence of witnesses of the parties; and (c) any special circumstances relating to the premises in question or any other relevant matter,” the subsection states.
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LAWYER SPEAKS
Bernard Onigah, a lawyer, told FIJ on Thursday that the landlord-tenant relationship in Nigeria operates within a free-market economy where rental prices are primarily dictated by supply and demand.
He said that while there have been calls for legislation to regulate rent increases, there was no law available to set a limit to how much landlords can charge for their properties.
“The landlord-tenant relationship is a commercial one, primarily regulated by market forces such as supply and demand. However, there is no law setting a limit on the rent a landlord can charge, though there have been calls for such a law to be enacted,” Onigah told FIJ.
“I doubt it will ever materialise because it would essentially interfere with commercial transactions. I have bought the property, and I can set any price for it. If you are willing to take it, you do.
“This is a free-market economy. Nigeria operates a free-market system where sellers are generally free to set their prices. As things stand, I don’t think there will ever be a time when housing costs are strictly regulated. Instead, we might have a guideline that suggests reasonable pricing based on certain considerations. I am suggesting that this is the kind of law we will have, not one that mandates landlords to rent out their properties at specific prices.”
On the arbitrary increase of fees by landlords, he said it was simply profit-making seen from different perspectives.
“To you, it is an arbitrary increase but to the landlord it is profit-making. It is a situation that is viewed from different angles and we often describe it in the best way that suits our interests,” Onigah explained.
“The tenant who is at the receiving end imagines the rent is high but the landlord imagines that, looking at inflation and the market, ‘I should be earning a certain amount from this property’. However, this does not mean that the rent rates charged in Lagos are a true reflection of the economic reality of the average Lagosian.”
The post How Lagos Laws Let Landlords Increase Rent Without Restraint appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.