Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Obafemi Hamzat, has pledged to enforce the state’s one-year rent payment regulation if elected governor.
Hamzat made the commitment on Sunday during a governorship debate organised by the Nigeria Debate Consortium in Lekki, Lagos. The coalition comprises The PUNCH, Channels Television, TVC News, TheCable and Vanguard.
He explained that the Lagos State Real Estate Registration Agency Law, enacted in 2025, provides for a one-year rent payment limit to protect tenants from landlords who demand multiple years’ rent in advance.
According to him, his administration would prioritise the implementation of the provision to prevent landlords from requesting two or three years’ rent upfront.
Hamzat also called on estate agents operating in Lagos to register with the Lagos State Real Estate Registration Agency through its official website, noting that the database would help the government monitor activities in the sector.
“There is a Lagos State Real Estate Registration Agency Law that was passed just last year. What it says is that you should pay one-year rent,” he said.
“So the next chapter for Lagos is to enforce, to make sure. So people should not be asked two years, three years ahead because nobody gets salary three years ahead. It also says that real estate agents must register and be on the database.
“So our appeal to the citizens is in terms of communication, to make sure that people use that site, because that is the only way we can track. Because this — when these things happen, government must also have the feedback.”
On affordable housing, the APC candidate promised to complete ongoing housing developments and simplify the process of obtaining property regularisation and title documents.
He said the state had automated applications for land-related documents, allowing residents to submit requests online. He noted that delays in processing such documents could contribute to higher housing costs.
Hamzat further urged private property developers to extend their investments beyond affluent neighbourhoods by considering housing projects in less wealthy communities.
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“As you develop a property, say in Ikoyi or VI, can you develop another one in Egodo? So those are part of the discussions that we will have so that as we are building for the rich, we’re also building for the poor, apart from what the government is doing to make sure that people actually have housing,” he said.
He also highlighted the housing policy component of his manifesto, which he described as “everyday dignity”, explaining that residents should not be subjected to rent payments that compromise their standard of living.
“If you look at my manifesto, the E part is everyday dignity. What it says is people should not pay rent that demystifies their dignity. And what that means is we must work with landlords. We understand that we run a capitalist economy,” he said.
The pledge comes against the backdrop of complaints by Lagos residents over rising rental costs, arbitrary increases and demands for multiple years’ rent in advance.
Meanwhile, Section 4 of the Lagos State Tenancy Law 2011 prohibits landlords and their agents from demanding more than one year’s rent in advance, although enforcement of the provision has remained weak.