The Lagos State Government has proposed the Lagos State Tenancy and Recovery of Premises Bill 2025 (Draft), which aims to criminalize harassment and illegal evictions, thereby making it an offense for landlords to eject tenants without a valid court order or employ self-help measures such as cutting utilities or dismantling parts of a building.
Section 10 of the bill states, “Obligations of the landlord include not disturbing the tenant’s quiet and peaceable enjoyment of the premises, including not removing the roof, cutting off electricity or water supply or doing anything that will interfere with peaceful enjoyment of the demised premises.”
Section 43 of the bill stipulates that, subject to the provisions of any law, any individual who demolishes, alters, or modifies a building to which this law applies with the intention of ejecting a tenant and without a court order, or any person who, with the intention of disturbing the quiet enjoyment of any tenant, attempts to forcibly eject or forcibly ejects a tenant, threatens or molests a tenant by action or words with the intention of ejecting such tenant, or wilfully damages any premises, commits an offence and shall be liable upon conviction to a fine of not less than one million naira (N1,000,000.00) or a maximum of six (6) months’ custodial or non-custodial sentence, or both.
This tackles widespread allegations of landlords locking out tenants, breaking into their apartments, or employing thugs during disputes.
Concurrently, section 33 grants the court authority to evaluate whether a rent increase is justified by analyzing rent levels in similar areas, evidence submitted by both parties, and any extraordinary circumstances related to the property.
Notably, landlords are barred from evicting tenants during ongoing disputes, providing vital protection in a state where rent increases of 50–200 per cent are common without sufficient notice.
It states, “Subject to any agreement to the contrary, an existing tenant may apply to the Court for an order declaring that the increase in rent imposed by the landlord as payable under a tenancy is unreasonable.
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