IN SHORT: Nigeria’s Lagos state government has urged the public to disregard a message claiming that the tenancy law, which covers the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants, has been updated. The state government said the tenancy law of 2015 was still in force.
The tenancy law of Nigeria’s Lagos state outlines the rights and obligations of both landlords and tenants.
It came into effect in 2011, covering tenancy agreements, landlord-tenant relationships and procedures for recovering premises, among other things.
In April 2025, the Lagos state house of assembly reportedly urged the attorney general and commissioner for justice to implement the “2015 tenancy law” to prevent landlords from engaging in illegal and unfair practices.
Meanwhile, tenants and landlords in the country’s economic hub, Lagos, are at loggerheads over rent increases.
It is in this context that several Facebook posts claim that the Lagos state tenancy laws have been updated.
The posts outline the “Key Provisions of the Updated Lagos State Tenancy Law”. These “provisions” include that landlords can demand a maximum of three months’ rent from tenants and violators can face a fine of ₦100,000 (about US$60) or three months’ imprisonment.
The same claim can be found here and here. (Note: See more instances listed at the end of this report.)
But is it accurate? We checked.
Lagos tenancy law is yet to be updated
We searched the Lagos state government website and official X account, but couldn’t find the version circulating on Facebook.
Such an announcement made by the state government would be widely publicised in the mainstream media. But we found nothing on this. This raises questions about the legitimacy of these “updated provisions”.
According to the state, the “law” in question is still being legislated and has not yet been passed.
On 23 May 2025, the Lagos state government, through its official X account, said the publication was “fake”.
“The attention of the Lagos State Government has been drawn to a fabricated online publication stating that the Lagos State Tenancy Law has been updated to better protect the tenants and regulate the landlord practices.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Lagos State Government wishes to state unequivocally that the said publication did not emanate from the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA) ... The Lagos Government is hereby informing members of the Public, particularly Lagosians, that the Tenancy Law of 2015 is still subsisting,” the state’s message reads.
The false claim was also published here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
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