Hamzat: Lagos to enforce one-year rent payment rule

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, says the state government plans to enforce the one-year rent payment provision in its real estate law to stop landlords from demanding two or three years’ rent in advance, PUNCH reports. Hamzat, the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, spoke on Sunday during a governorship debate organised by the Nigeria Debate Consortium in Lagos. He said the provision was contained in the Lagos State Real Estate Registration Agency law passed in 2025, adding that compliance was the government’s next priority.

“So the next chapter for Lagos is to enforce, to make sure. So people should not be asked 2 years, 3 years ahead because nobody gets salary three years ahead,” he said. Hamzat said the law requires real estate agents to register with the state and be listed on an official database. He urged residents to use the agency’s online platform to report issues and help the government monitor activities in the property sector.