AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
Pay the landlord's own account, or the registered agent's client account, against a written demand that names the tenant, the property and the rent period, and insist on a receipt. In Lagos, the Tenancy Law 2011 requires the landlord to issue a receipt showing the date, names and addresses, the premises, the amount and the period, and limits a new tenant's advance to one year's rent outside exempt areas.
Paying a brother's or sister's rent is one of the commonest ways diaspora Nigerians help family, and paying the landlord directly is often wiser than sending the money to the sibling. It keeps the purpose clear, protects your sibling from pressure to spend it elsewhere, and gives you a record. Done carelessly, though, it can leave the tenant without proof of payment. This guide covers whom to pay, what to get back and what the law says on advance rent.
Confirm the tenancy before you pay
- Ask for the tenancy agreement, or for a new let the offer letter, showing the tenant's name, the property and the rent.
- Confirm the landlord's name, and if an agent collects, the agent's company name.
- Get the payment details in writing from the landlord or agent, not relayed by a third party.
- For a new let, have your sibling see the property and confirm the person letting it actually controls it.
Fake agents are a known problem. In Lagos, LASRERA rules summarised by Famsville Solicitors bar agents from collecting money from more than one prospective tenant for the same premises and require them to remit to the landlord within 14 days. Our cross-link on fake house agents in Lagos covers the scams in detail.
Whose name goes on the receipt
The receipt should name your sibling as the tenant, not you, even though you paid. The tenant is the person with rights in the property, and a receipt in their name is their evidence if the tenancy is challenged. Ask the landlord to note on it, if you wish, that payment was made by you on the tenant's behalf.
Lagos State's Tenancy Law 2011 (section 5) requires a landlord to issue a receipt showing the date, the names and addresses of landlord and tenant, the premises, the amount and the period covered, with a fine of ₦100,000 for failing to do so. A security deposit or service charge needs a separate receipt (section 10). Edo State's Rent Control Edict of 1977 also requires a prescribed rent book in addition to receipts. Other states have their own laws, so check the state where your sibling lives.
How much rent can be demanded upfront
Two years' rent in advance is common in some cities, but some state laws cap it. In Lagos, section 4 of the Tenancy Law sets the limits outside the exempt areas (Apapa, Ikeja GRA, Ikoyi and Victoria Island):
| Tenant | Maximum advance (Lagos Tenancy Law s.4) |
|---|---|
| Sitting tenant, monthly | Six months |
| Sitting tenant, yearly | One year |
| New tenant | One year |
The law bars both landlord and tenant from demanding or offering more, with a fine of ₦100,000 or three months' imprisonment. Edo's 1977 edict limits advance rent to three months for individual tenants. Where your sibling lives elsewhere, ask the state's housing ministry or a lawyer what applies; our guide to the Lagos Tenancy Law on advance rent and notice has more detail on Lagos.
Agency and legal fees
On a new let there are often agency and agreement fees on top. Famsville's summary of the Lagos estate agency rules caps an agent's commission at 10% of rent collected and legal documentation at 12.5%. A Lagos government adviser in May 2025 also warned against charges above 10% of yearly rent. Ask for each fee on its own line, and pay agents only into their company accounts.
Worked example
An example only. Your sister is taking a new flat in Surulere at ₦1,800,000 a year. Under the Lagos law, the landlord can ask for one year in advance: ₦1,800,000. The agent's commission is quoted at 10% (₦180,000) and the agreement fee at ₦150,000. Total: ₦1,800,000 + ₦180,000 + ₦150,000 = ₦2,130,000. You pay the rent to the landlord's account and the fees to the agency's company account, and ask for three receipts, each naming your sister as tenant.
Steps
- Get the tenancy agreement or offer and the landlord's payment details in writing.
- Check the advance rent requested against the state's law.
- Pay the landlord, or the agent's company account, from your own account.
- Send the payment reference to the landlord and your sibling the same day.
- Get a receipt naming your sibling as tenant, with the period covered, within days.
- Diary the renewal date three months ahead so the next payment is planned.
If the landlord will not issue a receipt
Some landlords delay or refuse receipts. Ask politely and in writing, by message or email, for a receipt naming the tenant, the period and the amount, and keep your own proof of transfer and that message thread. In Lagos, failure to issue a receipt is an offence under section 5 of the Tenancy Law, which you can mention if needed. Your transfer record is not a substitute for a receipt, but together with the written request it is strong evidence of payment.
Where Pryme fits
From a Pryme account you can pay a landlord in Nigeria directly in naira with Send, after seeing the account name. Alongside the landlord's receipt, you can generate a verifiable receipt of the payment, which anyone can check is genuine and unaltered. If you are saving for next year's rent in naira, a Savings Box keeps it separate.
Questions people ask
Can I pay my brother's rent directly to his landlord?
Yes. Pay the landlord's own account, or the agency's company account, against the tenancy agreement, and ask for a receipt that names your brother as tenant.
What should a rent receipt in Nigeria include?
In Lagos the Tenancy Law requires the date, names and addresses of landlord and tenant, the premises, the amount and the period covered. Deposits and service charges need separate receipts.
Can a landlord in Lagos demand two years' rent?
Outside Apapa, Ikeja GRA, Ikoyi and Victoria Island, the Lagos Tenancy Law caps advance rent at one year for new tenants and yearly sitting tenants, and six months for monthly tenants.
Should the receipt be in my name since I paid?
It should name your sibling as the tenant, because the tenant holds the rights in the property. The landlord can note that you paid on their behalf.
Sources
- Lagos State Tenancy Law 2011 (Policy Vault copy) · accessed Oct 2026
- Edo State Rent Control and Recovery of Residential Premises Edict 1977 (Edo Judiciary) · accessed Oct 2026
- Mandatory registration requirements for real estate practitioners in Lagos State (Mondaq) · accessed Oct 2026
- Lagos govt warns agents, landlords against excessive charges (Peoples Gazette) · 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.