If you’ve rented in Lagos or Abuja, you know the drill: pay a year’s rent upfront, sometimes two. A bill in the House of Representatives wants to end that in Abuja. In Lagos, rents have climbed so fast that the upfront cost is only part of the problem.
Abuja’s bill
The Federal Capital Territory Rent Regulation and Tenants’ Protection Bill, 2026 was introduced on 22 October by Paul Nnamchi and Ahmed Doro. It would stop landlords, agents and property managers in the FCT from collecting more than 12 months’ rent upfront, including through compulsory service charges or repeated renewals.
- Individuals who knowingly break the rule would pay ₦500,000 to ₦5m, and companies ₦5m to ₦20m.
- A new authority would investigate complaints and order refunds, due within 30 days.
- Tenants could still pay more than 12 months if they start it themselves and it’s put in writing.
It is a bill, not law. The sponsors say a one-bedroom in Abuja costs ₦1m to ₦1.5m a year and a two-bedroom ₦2m to ₦3m, before agency, legal and service fees.
How much Lagos rent has risen
Average rents in key Lagos areas have risen by more than 105%, according to BusinessDay’s 2026 outlook. The article doesn’t give the baseline for that figure, but it does give specific comparisons between 2020 and 2025:
- Ajah–Sangotedo one-bedroom: about ₦500,000 to about ₦2m, up 300%.
- Yaba studio: ₦300,000 to ₦1.5m, up 400%.
- Three-bedroom homes: ₦11m to ₦27.5m, up 150%.
- Four-bedroom homes: ₦18m to ₦30.5m, up about 69%.
- Surulere one-bedrooms are up 300%, though the article gives no figures.
Lagos Island has seen the same. Lagos Realty’s Lagos Island Residential Market Report 2026, as reported by Business Insider NG, tracks average annual rent for a two-bedroom flat from 2022 to 2026:
- Ikate: ₦3m to ₦8.5m, up 183%.
- Lekki Phase 1: ₦4m to ₦10m, up 150%.
- Victoria Island: ₦6.57m to ₦15m, up 128%.
- Ikoyi: ₦8m to ₦17.25m, up 116%.
The mainland hasn’t been spared. In a February 2025 report, one tenant described rent going from ₦350,000 to ₦450,000 a year (up 28%), another in Lekki reported a 120% hike, and an agent reported jumps of up to 200% on Victoria Island.
The extras on top
Rent is only part of the move-in bill. One Lagos rent guide says agency fees are meant to be capped at 10% of rent but agents often ask for 15% to 20%. On top come an agreement fee, a caution deposit and a service charge. The guide suggests budgeting about 140% of the annual rent, which would put a ₦1.5m Yaba studio at roughly ₦2.1m on day one.
Where Lagos stands
A draft Lagos Tenancy Bill would cap upfront rent at one year for yearly tenants and three months for monthly tenants. Taking or paying more would carry a ₦1m fine, three months’ jail, or both. Agent commission would be capped at 5% of a year’s rent. The most recent report we found describes it as a draft. BusinessDay puts Lagos’s housing deficit at about 3.4 million units.
The catch
In both cities the real cost isn’t only the rent. It’s the lump sum you need before you get the keys, and rents have moved faster than most people’s ability to save it. A cap helps only if someone enforces it, and neither bill is law yet.
Sources: BusinessDay on Lagos’s 2026 rental outlook, Business Insider NG on Lagos Island rents, allAfrica on Lagos rents doubling, BusinessDay on the Abuja bill, The Guardian Nigeria on Abuja, The Guardian Nigeria on Lagos, Mushrooms on the true cost of renting.
