Regulations Or Extortion? Lagos Tenants Face Double Trouble As Rent Skyrockets

Lagos Tenants Face Crushing Rent Surge Amid Regulatory Push

According to iReporter Online, residents across Lagos State are facing unprecedented rental hikes, with increases of up to 100% in some areas—triggering outrage and desperation among tenants of all income brackets. The growing crisis has reignited calls for an urgent review of tenancy laws and stronger sanctions against exploitative landlords and agents.

One affected resident, Abimbola Anifowose, shared his ordeal after receiving a shocking notice from his landlord demanding ₦650,000 for a mini-flat he had previously rented for ₦350,000 in the Ogba area.

“The landlord simply told us to leave if we couldn’t afford the new rate,” Abimbola lamented. Despite the deteriorating condition of the property—including a broken borehole left unrepaired for over a year—tenants have been forced to purchase water elsewhere.

In a separate incident also cited by iReporter Online, Abimbola recounted how a friend was promised a two-bedroom apartment at ₦700,000 only for the landlord to later increase the price to ₦1.2 million per annum. This growing pattern of sudden and unjustified rent increases has further strained relations between landlords and tenants across the state.

Reacting to the uproar, Ibironke Famakinwa, Director of Public Affairs at the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA), disclosed that the state government is “not pleased” with the skyrocketing rents.

Speaking to journalists, she said the Lagos State House of Assembly has already passed the second reading of a new Tenancy Bill designed to regulate rental practices, reduce agreement and agent fees to 10% each, and protect tenant rights.

According to iReporter Online, the government is also intensifying public advocacy campaigns across Lagos, warning agents and landlords to adhere to legal commission limits. Famakinwa noted, “We’ve been educating Lagosians at various outreach events and are confident that ongoing reforms will eventually ease the pressure tenants are facing.”

Real estate consultant and property manager, Engineer Emmanuel Johnson, described the current housing market as volatile, citing both inflation in building materials and landlords’ inflexible attitudes. He pointed out that while a 10% agency and agreement fee is standard, many landlords demand up to 20%, with some even insisting tenants “ask the neighbor” what they paid as a benchmark.

Johnson added that desperate tenants, eager to secure housing at any cost, have further emboldened landlords to maintain inflated prices. “Some clients don’t care about cost anymore—they just want a roof over their heads,” he said.

However, Johnson expressed skepticism over the enforceability of new tenancy laws. He warned that landlords, many of whom built their homes without government assistance, may retaliate by locking up their properties instead of renting them out if overly restricted.

According to iReporter Online, this isn’t the first time the Lagos State Government has attempted to introduce rent regulation, but past efforts gradually lost traction over time. With many residents now spending major portions of their earnings—bonuses, leave allowances, and salaries—on rent, the urgency for reform has never been greater.

”IREPORTER REPORTS”