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The short answer
Outside exempt areas such as Ikoyi and Victoria Island, the Lagos Tenancy Law 2011 limits rent in advance to one year for a yearly or new tenant. Pay naira directly into the landlord's own account at least two weeks before renewal, and get a receipt showing date, names, premises, amount and period, plus a separate receipt for any deposit or service charge.
In much of Lagos, rent is paid a year at a time, and when the renewal date comes the money often has to come from a child abroad. Paying from South Africa adds three questions to the usual ones: how to get a large naira amount to the landlord on time, what the law says the landlord can ask for, and what paperwork you should hold so your parents are protected. This guide works through each.
How annual rent works in Lagos
The Lagos State Tenancy Law 2011 governs most rented premises in the state, including business premises. It sets limits on rent in advance (section 4):
| Tenant | Most a landlord may demand in advance |
|---|---|
| Sitting tenant, monthly tenancy | 6 months |
| Sitting tenant, yearly tenancy | 1 year |
| New or prospective tenant | 1 year |
The law makes it an offence for the landlord to demand, and for the tenant to offer, more than these amounts, with a fine of ₦100,000 or three months' imprisonment. Some areas are exempt: Apapa, Ikeja GRA, Ikoyi and Victoria Island, and any others the Governor exempts. In those areas two-year demands are common and the limits above do not apply.
On agent and agreement charges, a Lagos housing official was reported by Peoples Gazette in May 2025 as warning agents and landlords against charging tenants above the "legally stipulated 10 per cent of yearly rent". The report does not make clear whether that applies to the agency fee, the agreement fee or both, so ask the agent for a written breakdown before paying. Agent fraud is covered in fake house agents in Lagos.
Documents to get from the landlord
- A rent receipt (section 5) showing the date, the names and addresses of landlord and tenant, the premises, the amount and the period covered. Not issuing one is an offence under the law.
- A separate receipt for any security deposit or service charge (section 10), and a written account of how the service charge is spent at least every six months.
- The tenancy agreement with your parent named as tenant, the rent, the term and who repairs what. A tenancy can be oral under the law, but a written one protects an elderly tenant better.
- The landlord's bank details in their own name, or a written instruction from the landlord if a caretaker or agent is to be paid.
Keep in mind the notice rules. Where the agreement is silent, a yearly tenant is entitled to six months' notice to quit (section 13), and after a fixed term ends the landlord serves a seven-day notice of intention to recover possession. A sitting tenant can also challenge an unreasonable rent increase (section 37). A fuller explanation is in the Lagos Tenancy Law on rent advance and notice.
Paying from South Africa
The landlord wants naira in a Nigerian account. Your choices are to send naira directly to the landlord, or to send it to a parent or sibling who pays. Paying the landlord directly gives you a clean trail: the transfer, the receipt and the agreement all line up. Paying through a relative is sometimes unavoidable (an elderly landlord who wants cash, for example), but then ask for the receipt the same day. The steps and checks for paying a landlord from abroad are in paying rent to a landlord directly.
Timing
Large transfers from a South African bank can be held for compliance checks, and a public holiday at either end adds days. Start the payment at least two weeks before the renewal date, and tell the landlord in writing that it is on the way.
Worked example
Example (illustrative only): your parents' flat in Surulere is ₦3,000,000 a year. You agree with your sister in London to split it 60/40. You pay ₦1,800,000 and she pays ₦1,200,000: 1,800,000 + 1,200,000 = ₦3,000,000. If the agent asks for a fee at 10% of yearly rent, that is ₦300,000 more; get it confirmed in writing first. To spread the load, you could each put aside a twelfth of your share every month: ₦150,000 for you and ₦100,000 for her.
What to check first
- Is the property in an exempt area (Apapa, Ikeja GRA, Ikoyi, Victoria Island)? If not, refuse demands for more than a year.
- Is the person asking for money the landlord, or authorised in writing by the landlord?
- Does the account name match the landlord or the authorised agent?
- Will you get a receipt that meets section 5, and a separate one for any deposit or service charge?
- Is your parent named on the agreement?
Where Pryme fits
A Pryme account lets you convert rand-funded balances to naira with Swap and send to the landlord's account; the app shows the rate and the fee before you approve. A naira Savings Box can hold the monthly set-aside until renewal, and a verifiable receipt from VerifyDoc.ai gives the family a record of the payment that cannot be altered.
Questions people ask
Can a Lagos landlord ask for two years' rent?
Not outside the exempt areas. The Lagos Tenancy Law 2011 caps rent in advance at one year for a yearly or new tenant; Apapa, Ikeja GRA, Ikoyi and Victoria Island are exempt.
What should a rent receipt in Lagos show?
Under section 5 of the Tenancy Law: the date, the names and addresses of landlord and tenant, the premises, the amount paid and the period it covers.
How much can an agent charge in Lagos?
A Lagos official was reported in May 2025 warning against charges above 10% of yearly rent, without clarifying whether that covers agency, agreement fees or both. Get a written breakdown.
Should I pay my parents' landlord directly from South Africa?
Paying the landlord's own account directly gives the clearest record. If you must go through a relative, ask for the receipt the same day.
Sources
- Lagos State Tenancy Law No. 14 of 2011 (gazetted 26 Aug 2011) · accessed Oct 2026
- Peoples Gazette: Lagos warns agents and landlords over fees above 10% of yearly rent (15 May 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
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