New tenancy bill bars self-help evictions, utility cut-offs, and harassment as courts gain wider powers to regulate rent hikes
The Lagos State Government has proposed sweeping reforms to protect tenants from harassment and illegal evictions, with stiff penalties for landlords who eject occupants without a valid court order or resort to self-help tactics.
Under the Lagos State Tenancy and Recovery of Premises Bill 2025 (Draft), it will be a criminal offence for landlords to forcibly remove tenants, cut off essential utilities, dismantle parts of a building, or engage in conduct that disrupts a tenant’s peaceful occupation of a property.
Section 10 of the proposed law outlines the obligations of landlords, explicitly prohibiting actions that interfere with a tenant’s quiet and peaceable enjoyment of leased premises. These include removing roofs, disconnecting electricity or water supply, or carrying out any act that undermines the tenant’s lawful use of the property.
The bill goes further in Section 43, which prescribes punishment for illegal eviction practices. It provides that any person who demolishes, alters, or modifies a building to force out a tenant without a court order, or who attempts to eject a tenant through threats, harassment, intimidation, or wilful damage to property, commits an offence. Upon conviction, such offenders face a minimum fine of ₦1 million, a custodial or non-custodial sentence of up to six months, or both.
The proposed legislation responds to persistent complaints across the state of landlords locking out tenants, breaking into apartments, or deploying thugs during tenancy disputes.
Beyond eviction protections, the bill also empowers courts to scrutinise and regulate rent increases. Section 33 allows tenants to challenge rent hikes they consider unreasonable, especially in a market where rents are often increased by between 50 and 200 per cent without adequate notice.
Where such applications are filed, the court is required to consider prevailing rent levels in the same or similar localities, assess evidence presented by both landlord and tenant, and take into account any special circumstances relating to the property. If the court is satisfied that a rent increase is unjustified, it may order that the rent be adjusted to a specific and reasonable amount.
Importantly, the bill bars landlords from evicting tenants while rent disputes are pending before the court. It explicitly states that, regardless of any other law, it shall be unlawful to eject a tenant from any premises until the court has determined the matter.
The draft legislation also introduces faster and more flexible dispute resolution mechanisms. Sections 20 to 24 provide for tenancy cases to be filed through originating summons, with hearings scheduled within 14 days of filing. Courts may sit on weekends, public holidays, or conduct proceedings virtually, while mediation processes are limited to a maximum of 30 days.
To enhance transparency, Section 12 mandates landlords to give tenants a detailed account of how service charges and security deposits are utilised every six months. Security deposits are to be refunded at the end of the tenancy, except where there is documented evidence of damage to the property.
In addition, Section 7 reinforces tenants’ rights to privacy, peaceful enjoyment of their homes, access to common areas, and compensation for approved improvements carried out on the premises.
If passed into law, the bill is expected to significantly reshape landlord-tenant relations in Lagos, strengthening legal protections for tenants while promoting fairness, transparency, and orderly dispute resolution in the state’s rental housing market.
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