The Lagos State Government has sounded a fresh warning to property owners and real estate agents charging more than 10% in tenancy agreement fees, urging residents to expose those violating the law.
At a press briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Housing, Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, voiced concern over exploitative practices targeting tenants. “Some agents are demanding outrageous sums—it’s like asking for an arm and a leg,” she said.
She called on the public to take an active role in combating the issue by reporting these individuals.
“We can’t be everywhere. Citizens must help us bring these violators to book,” Odunuga-Bakare added.
She reiterated that Lagos law caps tenancy agreement fees at 10%, and anything beyond that is illegal.
The government, she said, is working closely with registered real estate associations, who claim that most offenders are unregistered actors operating independently.
In a related update, Commissioner for Housing Moruf Akinderu-Fatai revealed that plans are underway to introduce monthly and quarterly rent options.
He said this policy shift is aimed at easing the burden on residents struggling with annual rent payments in the state’s challenging housing landscape.