Spaces For Change Seek Rent Controls, Anti-discrimination Rules In Lagos Tenancy Law

Spaces for Change (S4C) has called for the instauration of rent controls and stringent anti-discrimination measures successful the ongoing reappraisal of the Lagos State Tenancy and Recovery of Premises Bill, 2025. The advocacy radical elaborate these demands during a nationalist proceeding convened by the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee connected Housing connected August 11, 2025.

The proceeding attracted a wide scope of stakeholders including the Lagos State Attorney General, Housing Commissioner, lawyers, existent property professionals, assemblage leaders, and academics. S4C submitted a broad memorandum highlighting the urgent request to code the state’s lodging challenges, wherever the lodging shortage is estimated astatine astir 4 cardinal units.

Among the cardinal recommendations, S4C supports Section 33 (1) of the Bill, which permits tenants to attack the courts implicit what they deem unreasonable rent increases.

However, the radical argues that the Bill should spell further by limiting rent increments to erstwhile each 2 years. It besides calls for a wide timeline for landlords to notify tenants astir immoderate projected rent hikes to forestall arbitrary oregon predominant changes that worsen lodging affordability.

S4C’s memorandum draws attraction to wide discriminatory practices by landlords successful Lagos who cull tenants based connected tribe, religion, oregon marital status, denying galore residents their close to just housing. The radical demands explicit ineligible penalties for landlords oregon agents who prosecute successful specified discrimination, suggesting fines, suspension of licenses, oregon impermanent bans connected leasing activities arsenic imaginable sanctions.

The organisation besides identified the escalating costs of “agency fees” charged to tenants, which often propulsion rental expenses higher. While the Bill reduces the maximum bureau interest from 10% to 5%, S4C warns that agents whitethorn circumvent this by inflating different charges. It recommends that each fees beryllium bundled wrong the 5% headdress to support tenants from hidden costs.

Further, S4C emphasises the request for stringent information extortion standards successful the Bill, ensuring that landlords and agents grip tenants’ delicate idiosyncratic accusation ethically and successful compliance with Nigeria’s Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023.

The memorandum besides addresses the plight of residents successful exigency shelters, urging the Bill to specify “emergency shelter” to defender against forced evictions that person rendered galore stateless without alternatives.

S4C lauded the removal of erstwhile tenancy instrumentality provisions that allowed residential segregation successful Lagos, underscoring the value of cosmopolitan tenancy protections to beforehand societal equity.

The Lagos State House of Assembly Committee connected Housing has received the memorandum and indicated that the recommendations volition beryllium thoughtfully considered arsenic the Bill moves forward. If adopted, these reforms could people a turning constituent successful securing affordable and nondiscriminatory lodging for Lagos residents.