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The short answer
Lagos rents are usually paid a year at a time, and the Lagos State Tenancy Law 2011 caps advance rent at one year for a new or yearly tenant (six months for a monthly tenant), outside exempt areas such as Ikoyi and Victoria Island. Pay the landlord directly into an account in the landlord's own name, and get the written receipt the law requires, showing the dates, names, premises, amount and period.
How rent works in Lagos
Most residential tenancies in Lagos run yearly, with the whole year paid in advance. For a child in the US supporting parents, that means one large payment once a year, plus occasional service charges, rather than a monthly bill. Planning for the anniversary date matters more than the monthly budget.
The Lagos State Tenancy Law 2011 sets the rules for most of the state. Its key points for a family paying from abroad:
- Advance rent: a landlord may not demand, and a tenant may not offer, more than one year's rent in advance from a new tenant or a sitting yearly tenant, or more than six months from a sitting monthly tenant (section 4). Breaking this is an offence carrying a fine of ₦100,000 or three months' imprisonment.
- Receipts: the landlord must issue a receipt showing the date, the names and addresses of landlord and tenant, the premises, the amount and the period covered (section 5).
- Deposits and service charges: these need a separate receipt, and the landlord must give a written account of service charge at least every six months (section 10).
- Notice: where the agreement is silent, a yearly tenant is entitled to six months' notice (section 13).
- Rent increases: a sitting tenant can challenge an unreasonable increase (section 37).
Because the year is paid up front, a missed anniversary is the main risk for families abroad. Note the date, and ask your parents to tell you of any letter from the landlord at once, since notice periods run from when the notice is served, not when you hear about it.
Agency and legal fees
When parents move, there are usually agency and agreement fees on top of the rent. A Mondaq summary of Lagos's estate agency regulation (July 2020) says agents' rent commission is capped at 10% of the rent, and the Lagos State Government warned agents and landlords in May 2025, as reported by Peoples Gazette, against charging tenants more than the 10% it described as legally stipulated. Ask for every charge in writing before paying, and pay agents only into a business account.
Paying the landlord directly from the US
- Get the landlord's name and account details from the landlord, and check the account name matches. If your parents have paid this landlord before, compare with last year's receipt.
- If an agent or caretaker collects rent, ask the landlord directly whether that is authorised.
- Pay in naira. Licensed money transfer operators pay out only in naira since 1 May 2026, under the CBN's March 2026 directive.
- Ask for the section 5 receipt in your parents' names, covering the correct period, and keep a copy yourself.
- Pay service charges separately and keep their receipts apart.
The Nigeria library covers paying Lagos rent from abroad and the Tenancy Law rules on advance rent and notice in more detail.
A worked example
Example only, using an illustrative rate of ₦1,500 to $1 (not today's rate). Bola in Chicago pays rent for his parents' two-bedroom flat in Surulere. The rent is ₦2,400,000 a year, due each March, plus a service charge of ₦240,000 a year.
- Annual total: ₦2,640,000, about $1,760 at the example rate.
- Set aside monthly: ₦2,640,000 ÷ 12 = ₦220,000, about $147 at the example rate.
- Pay the rent in March and get one receipt for the year; pay the service charge against its own receipt.
If the landlord announces an increase to ₦3,000,000, Bola's monthly set-aside rises to ₦270,000 including the service charge. He can ask for the increase in writing; his parents, as sitting tenants, can challenge it under section 37 if it is unreasonable. A sensible first step is to compare asking rents for similar flats on the same street.
What to check first
- Is the property in an exempt area? If so, the agreement, not the Tenancy Law, sets the terms.
- Whose name is on the tenancy? Usually your parents'; you pay on their behalf.
- When is the anniversary, and when must notice be given if your parents plan to move?
- Are agency or legal fees being charged on a renewal? They are normally a cost of a new letting; ask why if they appear at renewal.
For the wider question of how much to send each month, see setting a monthly amount for parents. This is information, not legal advice.
Where Pryme fits
A naira Savings Box lets you put aside part of the rent each month so the annual payment is ready. When it is due, Send pays the landlord's account in Nigeria, and the app shows the rate and the fee before you approve. A verifiable receipt gives the landlord and your parents a record anyone can check.
Questions people ask
Can a Lagos landlord ask for two years' rent?
Not in most of Lagos. The Tenancy Law 2011 caps advance rent at one year for new and yearly tenants. It does not apply in Apapa, Ikeja GRA, Ikoyi and Victoria Island, where the agreement governs.
How do I pay my parents' rent in Lagos from America?
Send naira directly to an account in the landlord's own name, confirmed with the landlord, and ask for a receipt in your parents' names showing the period covered.
What is the legal agency fee in Lagos?
A Mondaq summary of Lagos estate agency rules says commission is capped at 10% of the rent, and the state government repeated a 10% limit in May 2025. Get every charge in writing.
How much notice must a Lagos landlord give a yearly tenant?
Six months, where the tenancy agreement says nothing else, under section 13 of the Tenancy Law.
Sources
- Lagos State Tenancy Law 2011 (Gazette No. 37 Vol. 44) · accessed Oct 2026
- Mondaq: Mandatory registration for real estate practitioners in Lagos (Jul 2020) · accessed Oct 2026
- Peoples Gazette: Lagos warns agents over charges above 10% (15 May 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
- Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie: CBN directive to IMTOs, naira payouts (Mar 2026) · 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.