CENTER FOR LAWS OF NIGERIA: LAGOS STATE LAWS
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LAGOS STATE TENANCY AND RECOVERY OF PREMISES BILL, 2025
LAWS OF LAGOS STATE NIGERIA
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PART I — PARTIES & OBLIGATIONS
1. Interpretation
2. Application of the Law
3. Engagement of an Agent
4. Tenancy Agreement
5. Advance Rent
6. Rent Payment Receipt
7. Rights of a Tenant
8. Obligations of the Tenant
9. Rights of the Landlord
10. Obligations of the Landlord
11. Tax obligation on rental income
12. Service charge, facility and security deposits
13. Payment of professional fees
14. Length of Notice
15. Service of Notices
16. Service of Notices for Residential Premises
17. Service of Notices for Business Premises
18. Notices to Licensee
19. Tenant refusing or neglecting to give up possession
PART II — PROCEEDINGS FOR POSSESSION OF PREMISES
20. Application of this Part
21. Grounds for possession
22. Proceedings to be by Originating Summons
23. Defence
24. Hearing
25. Appeal
26. Recovery of premises on a tenancy for a fixed term certain
27. Claims against Persons Unknown in unlawful occupation
28. Provisions for Re-Entry during pendency of tenancy
29. Recovery of abandoned premises
30. Use of Forms
31. Power of Court to sit on Weekends and Public Holidays
32. Virtual hearing
33. Unreasonable increase of rent
34. The Court as Receiver of refused rent
35. Landlord may claim Mesne Profits or money for use and occupation of premises
36. Mediation
37. Enforcement of Alternate Dispute Resolution Agreement
PART III — ENFORCEMENT OF ORDER OF THE COURT
38. Enforcement of Order of Court
39. Issuance of Warrant for Possession
40. Forms and purpose of Warrant for Possession
41. Duration of Warrant
42. Warrant for Possession justifies entry on premises
PART IV — OFFENCES AND MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
43. Offences and penalties
44. Repeal
45. Citation and commencement
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LAGOS STATE TENANCY AND RECOVERY OF PREMISES BILL, 2025
PART I — PARTIES & OBLIGATIONS
1. Interpretation
In this Law, unless the context otherwise requires —
“Agent” means any person engaged in the letting, leasing, collection of rents or management of a property or a person specially authorised to act in a particular manner in writing under the hand of a landlord or tenant;
“Appellate Court” means the High Court of Lagos State or Court of Appeal;
“Business Premises” except where it is expressly stated otherwise by this Law, includes premises used wholly or in part for non-residential purposes, such as places let out for business, shops, offices, shopping malls, sporting facilities, events’ centres, lodgings, gaming houses, clubs and club houses, religious worship, institutions and voluntary services structures amongst others;
“Commissioner” means Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State;
“Common area” means any part of the premises the use of which is jointly shared by tenants or by the landlord and one or more tenants;
“Court” means the High Court and Magistrates’ Court of Lagos State;
“Governor” means the Governor of Lagos State;
“Landlord” in relation to any premises means the person entitled to the immediate reversion of the premises or if the property is held in joint tenancy or tenancy in common, any of the persons entitled to the immediate reversion and includes –
(a) the attorney, solicitor, agent or caretaker of any such landlord;
(b) any person receiving (whether in his own right or as an attorney or agent) any rent from any person for the occupation of any premises in respect of which he claims a right to receive the same; or
(c) a former landlord where the context so requires;
“Licensee” means a person who comes into occupation by mere permission, without the creation of a landlord and tenant relationship and has no estate or legal interest in the premises;
“Mesne profits” means the sum of money and profits which a tenant whose tenancy has come to an end holds over during his occupation of the premises and which he is liable to pay as compensation to the person entitled to possession;
“Persons in unlawful occupation” means any person or corporate body who –
(a) enters into occupation through the tenant or remains in any residential or business premises without the consent of the landlord; or
(b) enters into or remains in occupation of the premises after an order for possession against a tenant without the consent of the landlord;
“Premises” except where it is expressly stated otherwise in this Law, includes premises used for business, residential and non-residential purposes;
“Proceedings” includes any action instituted in Court in respect of premises under this law;
“Rents” include any money paid or agreed to be paid in consideration of which a landlord has permitted any person to use and occupy any land, premises, or other corporeal hereditament, and the use of common areas but does not include any charge for services or facilities provided in addition for the occupation of the premises;
“Rules” mean the rules for the time being in force relating to the practice and procedure of a Court in the exercise of its civil jurisdiction made under the law by which such court was established or any law amending same;
“Services or facilities” include any of the following that are provided or agreed to be provided by the landlord to the tenant in the premises: appliances and furnishings, cleaning and maintenance services, parking spaces, cable, television and dish services, laundry services, storage facilities, elevator services, common recreational facilities, intercom systems and security surveillance, housekeeping facilities, security services and waste removal services;
“Sitting Tenant” means a tenant in lawful occupation after the expiration of the first tenancy term according to the provisions of this Law and includes a tenant renewing a tenancy following an expired term of years;
“State” means Lagos State;
“Substantial Repair” means any work required to remedy anything which threatens the structure or renders the premises uninhabitable, creates an intolerable nuisance or could be construed as a breach of the landlord’s covenant;
“Sub-tenant” means a person who occupies a premises or a portion of the premises with the consent of the tenant with or without the written consent of the landlord;
“Tenancy” means possession of land, premises or property by a tenant under a tenancy agreement;
“Tenancy agreement” means an agreement whether written, oral, express or implied between a landlord and a tenant regarding possession of premises and use of common areas other than leases and sub-leases;
“Tenant” includes a sub-tenant or any person occupying any premises whether by payment of rent or by operation of law and not persons unlawfully occupying any premises under a bona fide claim to be the owner.
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LAWS OF LAGOS STATE
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LAWS OF NIGERIA (ALPHABETICA LIST)