Nigeria · Housing
Renting and buying property in Nigeria — typical rents, deposits, contracts, and official tenancy rules.
AI-drafted, editorial review pending. The official links below are checked — confirm specifics with the authority.
Tenancy law is mostly state law. In Lagos, the Tenancy Law 2011 makes it an offence for a landlord to demand, or a tenant to offer, more than one year's rent in advance from a new yearly tenant, and recovering possession requires the statutory notice and, if the tenant does not leave, a court order — self-help eviction is unlawful. Rent is customarily paid a year in advance outside these limits, plus agency and legal fees, so budget for a large upfront sum. Land in each state is held under the Land Use Act, and buying property needs the state governor's consent to the transfer.
- In Lagos, more than one year's advance rent from a new yearly tenant is unlawful.
- Eviction needs statutory notice and, if contested, a court order.
- Buying property needs the state governor's consent to the transfer.
- Lagos State Government
Lagos State Government portal, including housing and tenancy services.
Government portals
- Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) — Company registration, annual returns and company searches.
- Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) — Federal taxes, including company income tax, VAT and the development levy.
- Nigeria Immigration Service eVisa — Online short-visit visa applications, which replaced visas on arrival in 2025.
- Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) — Data protection registration, guidance and breach notification.