Lagos Landlord and Rent Issue: A Serious Risk to the State’s Economic Future
It is no longer a joke that Lagos State is experiencing a higher demand for housing, as reports have shown how drastically rental fees for houses are increasing.
My personal research and one-on-one meetings with diverse tenants across different regions of the state have been mind-blowing, as we see how drastically house rents have been increased without even the tenants’ consent.
For example, a young grown-up man rented a one-room apartment for the sum of N120,000 per annum. In just one year, the landlord increased it by about 100 percent, to N250,000 for just a one-year interval.
To me, that is wickedness. And it is not just him. There are countless stories.
Another family told me their rent was increased from N400,000 per annum to about N700,000. The most annoying thing is that there are no visible measures to curb this issue by the Lagos State Government.
At one point, the Lagos State House of Assembly introduced the Lagos State Tenancy and Recovery of Premises Bill 2025, which seeks to reform the legal framework governing tenancy agreements, the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants, and the process of recovering premises. The bill passed its second reading in July 2025.
However, the bill is still a proposed piece of legislation and should not be presented as an already implemented law. What Lagosians need is for the proposed reforms to move beyond legislation and become effective measures that can address the realities tenants face across the state.
Hearing from many Lagosians, they are considering relocating outside Lagos. For an average family or man, house rent is more than months of salary, and that is not fair for the life of any citizen.
Citizens are now threatened by landlords that if they fail to agree to the increment, they can pack out, as there are many people ready to pay more. There are countless options for landlords who want to replace existing tenants.
I think Lagos has been known as the Centre of Excellence for decades and has drawn the attention of different ethnic groups to do business. From there, Lagos has grown to become one of the most populated states in the country.
Yet, there is still a serious housing challenge.
Therefore, these are my ideas for the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Return to the Legacy of Lateef Jakande
First, the Lagos State Government needs to revive the era of one of Lagos State’s foremost first civilian governors, Lateef Jakande, who envisioned a Lagos where ordinary citizens could benefit from affordable housing.
He built many housing estates, popularly known as low-cost housing areas, where ordinary citizens could have access to housing.
Lagos needs to revisit this kind of thinking, especially at a time when housing costs are becoming increasingly difficult for ordinary residents.
Review and Implement the Tenancy Law
Secondly, the Lagos State House of Assembly needs not only to review the Lagos State Tenancy and Recovery of Premises Bill 2025, but also to ensure that, once passed into law, it is properly implemented and enforced.
For proper propagation, the government could create a new internal service similar to agencies such as the FIRS, KAI, LNSC, and others. This new service would consist of trained personnel who would strictly supervise landlords and monitor unnecessary rent increases.
The service could also be responsible for implementing laws that set a certain figure and number of years before rent can be increased.
I know that with all this, Lagos is going to have a promising future and remain a monument of unity, as it has always been.
We can also prevent a chaotic future where Lagos could lose potential residents and professionals who would otherwise contribute to increasing the state’s infrastructure, businesses, and economic development.
EKO O NI BAJE O!!! OBA JE TI!!
