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The short answer
Agree the rent in naira and in writing, hold the money in your own currency until close to the due date, then convert and pay the landlord or registered agency by transfer into an account in their name. Ask for the landlord's receipt, which the Lagos Tenancy Law requires, and keep your own transfer record so the payment can be proved from either side.
Who this is for
Many Nigerians abroad pay rent in Lagos: for parents in Surulere or Ikeja, for a sibling at university in Akoka, for a flat they keep for visits, or for themselves before moving back. The money starts in pounds, dollars or euros, the rent is due in naira, and the person paying is thousands of miles from the landlord. That gap creates three risks: losing value on the conversion, paying the wrong person, and having no proof when a dispute arises.
Step 1: agree the terms in writing
Before any money moves, get the tenancy terms in writing, even if a relative found the flat. Lagos rents are usually quoted in naira and paid yearly. The Lagos Tenancy Law 2011 limits rent in advance to one year for a new tenant, outside exempt areas such as Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Apapa and Ikeja GRA. Read the Lagos Tenancy Law guide before agreeing to pay more.
- The rent in naira and the period it covers.
- Agency, legal and caution fees, each listed separately.
- Whose name the tenancy is in, and who signs for you if you are abroad.
- The landlord's or agency's account details, given in writing.
Step 2: decide when to convert
Rent is a known naira sum on a known date, which makes it easier to plan than most cross-border spending. You do not need to convert months early. Hold the money in the currency you earn, and convert close to the due date, when you know the exact amount. If the rent is large relative to your savings, you can convert in two or three parts over the final months to spread the rate risk.
Worked example
Example only; rates and amounts are illustrative. Ada in Manchester pays her mother's rent in Gbagada of ₦2,400,000 a year, due in March. She saves £150 a month in pounds from April. In January and February she converts half each month, checking the rate shown before approving. By the due date she has the full naira amount ready, and the conversion has been spread over two months rather than made in one day.
For more on how rates are set and why the rate you get differs from the headline, see why the pound-to-naira rate you get differs.
Step 3: pay the right account
Most rent losses from abroad come from paying the wrong person, not from the exchange rate. A relative may pass on account details that came from a caretaker; a 'new' account may arrive by message at the last minute.
- Pay only into an account in the landlord's name or a LASRERA-registered agency's name.
- Confirm the account name shown before you approve the transfer matches the person on the tenancy agreement.
- If details change, call the landlord directly on a number you already have, or ask a relative to confirm in person.
- Never pay a 'holding fee' for a flat no one in your family has seen. See fake house agents in Lagos.
Step 4: get proof that works from abroad
Section 5 of the Lagos Tenancy Law requires the landlord to issue a rent receipt. Ask for it to be sent to you as well as handed to the occupant. Keep three things together: the tenancy agreement, the landlord's receipt, and your own transfer record. If the occupant is a parent, they then have the receipt to show any new owner or agent, and you have the transfer to prove where the money came from.
| Document | Who issues it | What it proves |
|---|---|---|
| Tenancy agreement | Landlord or agency | Terms and period |
| Transfer record | Your bank or app | Money left your account to that account |
| Rent receipt | Landlord | Rent received for that period |
| Verifiable receipt | Payer, through the app | Your transfer record is genuine and unaltered |
When someone on the ground helps
Most diaspora renters rely on a relative or friend in Lagos to view flats, sign documents and collect keys. Make their role clear. Give them written authority if they will sign for you, agree in advance that no money changes hands in cash, and ask them to send photos of the signed agreement and receipt on the day. Paying the landlord directly from your own account, rather than sending the money to the helper to pass on, keeps the record clean and protects them from suspicion if something goes wrong.
Where Pryme fits
A Pryme Personal Account can be opened from any country and holds pounds, dollars, euros and naira with local details for each, so your income can stay in the currency it arrived in until rent is due. Swap shows the rate first, with the fee on its own line, and converts only when you approve. You can then send naira to the landlord's account and generate a verifiable receipt with VerifyDoc.ai that the landlord or agent can check is genuine and unaltered. A Fixed Box in naira can hold the converted rent until the due date.
Questions people ask
How can I pay my parents' rent in Lagos from the UK?
Agree the rent in writing, hold your pounds until near the due date, convert to naira, and transfer to an account in the landlord's name. Get the landlord's receipt and keep your transfer record.
Should I pay Lagos rent in dollars or naira?
Lagos rents are normally agreed and paid in naira. Hold your foreign currency until close to the due date, then convert the exact amount.
Can a Lagos landlord ask a diaspora tenant for two years' rent?
Outside exempt areas, the Lagos Tenancy Law 2011 limits rent in advance to one year for a new tenant. Check the law before agreeing.
How do I prove I paid rent from abroad?
Keep the tenancy agreement, the landlord's receipt and your transfer record. A verifiable receipt lets the landlord check your transfer record is genuine.
Sources
- Lagos State Tenancy Law 2011 (full text, Policy Vault) · accessed Oct 2026
- Central Bank of Nigeria · accessed Oct 2026
- Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation · 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.