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The short answer
Before you hand back keys, record the meter reading, clear any debt on the meter, settle service charges and get written confirmation of your caution deposit refund. At the new flat, confirm which DisCo supplies the meter, check it for debt with a small token first, and find out who bills for water and waste collection before your first month ends.
Why the handover matters in Lagos
In many Lagos compounds, the costs that follow a flat are not only rent. There is the prepaid or postpaid electricity meter, a service charge that may cover security, a generator or borehole, waste collection by a private operator, and in some areas a water bill. When one tenant leaves and another arrives, each of these can carry a debt that lands on the wrong person. A short checklist on both sides avoids months of argument.
Leaving your old flat
- Give notice in line with your agreement. If the agreement is silent, the Lagos Tenancy Law sets minimum notice periods; a yearly tenant gives or receives six months. See the Lagos Tenancy Law guide.
- Record the meter. Photograph the units remaining or, for postpaid, the reading, on the day you leave. Units already bought stay on the meter for the next occupant, so do not buy a large token in your final week.
- Settle postpaid electricity. Ask Eko or Ikeja Electric for a final bill if the account is in your name, and keep the receipt.
- Clear service charges. Ask the landlord, estate manager or residents' association for a written statement that nothing is owed.
- Agree the caution deposit refund. Walk through the flat with the landlord or agent, note any damage in writing, and agree the refund amount and date.
- Delete saved meters and billers from your apps so you do not buy units for the old address by mistake.
Arriving at the new flat
Electricity
Confirm which distributor serves the meter. Lagos is split between Eko in the south and Ikeja Electric in the north, and the Eko or Ikeja Electric guide explains how to check. Ask for the outgoing tenant's last token receipt. Buy a small token first and see how many units load. If it is much less than the receipt suggests, there may be a debt on the meter being recovered from each purchase; raise it with the DisCo and the landlord before you buy more.
Water
Some Lagos properties are connected to the public water supply and receive a bill; many rely on a borehole run by the landlord or estate and paid for through service charge. Ask which applies, who pays the pump's electricity or fuel, and whether there is any outstanding water bill on the property.
Waste collection
Household waste in Lagos is typically collected by private operators working under the state's waste management framework, and billed to the property. Ask who the operator is, how the bill is paid (by each flat, or through the landlord or service charge), and when collection days are.
Service charge
Ask for a written breakdown: security, cleaning, generator, borehole, waste and any estate dues. Know what you are paying for and how often, and whether diesel for a shared generator is charged separately when prices change.
Worked example: one move, three bills
Example only. Funmi moves from a flat in Surulere to one in Ogba. At the old flat she photographs 14 units on the meter, gets a written note from the caretaker that service charge is paid to the end of the month, and agrees a caution deposit refund of ₦150,000 within two weeks after the inspection. At the new flat she learns the meter is under Ikeja Electric rather than Eko, buys a test token of ₦5,000, and finds it loads normally. The landlord confirms waste and borehole costs are in the service charge, and gives her a breakdown. Total time spent: one afternoon. Disputes avoided: probably several.
If the outgoing tenant leaves before you arrive, ask the landlord or agent to confirm in writing that bills on the meter, water and waste are clear on the day your tenancy starts. Anything owed before that date belongs to the previous occupant or the landlord, not you.
A handover sheet you can copy
| Item | Outgoing tenant | Incoming tenant |
|---|---|---|
| Meter | Final units photographed; token receipts handed over | DisCo confirmed; small test token bought |
| Postpaid bill | Final bill paid; receipt | Account transferred or new account opened |
| Water | Any bill settled | Supply type and billing confirmed |
| Waste | Last payment receipt | Operator and payment route confirmed |
| Service charge | Written 'nothing owed' | Breakdown received |
| Caution deposit | Refund agreed in writing | Deposit paid; receipt received |
Moving costs beyond these bills, such as the van, agency and legal fees and setting up the new flat, are covered in moving house in Nigeria: the full cost.
Where Pryme fits
You can pay electricity tokens, the final bill and other transfers from your Pryme account and keep every receipt in one place, which helps when a landlord or the next tenant disputes what was paid. For the caution deposit and service charge, a verifiable receipt from VerifyDoc.ai lets the other side check your proof is genuine and unaltered. Use electricity bill payment to save the new meter as soon as you move in.
Questions people ask
Will my prepaid units transfer when I move out?
No. Units are stored on the meter, so they stay with the flat for the next occupant. Run them down in your last weeks rather than buying a large token.
How do I know if a new flat's meter has debt?
Ask for the last token receipt and buy a small test token. If far fewer units load than expected, ask the DisCo whether arrears are being recovered from the meter.
Who pays the waste bill in a Lagos flat?
It depends on the property. Some landlords include it in the service charge; others have each flat pay the operator directly. Ask before you move in.
How do I get my caution deposit back in Lagos?
Agree the refund amount and date in writing after a joint inspection, settle outstanding bills, and keep receipts for everything you paid.
Sources
- Lagos State Tenancy Law 2011 (full text, Policy Vault) · accessed Oct 2026
- How to make a complaint to EKEDC (LawPadi) · accessed Oct 2026
- How to make a complaint to Ikeja Electric (LawPadi) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.