 (4)_1740585422.jpeg)
The state of Lagos will soon intervene to regulate the other expenses required for tenants to rent a home in the state.
Jubril A. Gawat, senior special assistant to the governor of Lagos State, disclosed this on X.
He shared a copy of the bill at the Enugu State Capitol that attempts to cap the rent expenses in the Southeast state.
Gawat wrote in his title: “Lagos… is coming soon.
“A very powerful issue, but must be carefully discussed and implemented after the deliberations of the Lagos Parliament Building.”
This is because the Enugu State Capitol is considering a bill to regulate agency and legal fees for lease agreements and prohibit warning fees collected by landlords.
Following complaints about tenant exploitation, the bill is titled “Act to amend landlord and tenant laws, cap. 101, Enugu State Law, 2024,” sponsored by Hon. Okey Mbah, who represents the Nkanu East state constituency, gave her first reading Tuesday.
The proposed legislation aims to limit institutional and legal fees at 10% of rent and repeal warning fees, which are fees imposed by landlords on tenants who rarely refund at the end of the tenant.
Article 3(3) of the proposed law provides: “From this law, the agency fee charged shall not exceed 10% of the rent due to the potential tenant, despite any other regulations.”
Similarly, Section 3(4) provides: “No further premium shall be paid to obtain accommodation except for legal fees for the landlord and tenant agreement to be paid to qualified legal practitioners.”
Once enacted, violations of the law will be subject to a fine of N500,000, six months in prison or both.
The bill also aims to protect tenants from forced, irregular and fraudulent evictions by establishing legally defined eviction times and notice periods.
