Obafemi Hamzat, deputy governor of Lagos State and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has pledged to enforce the one-year rent payment provision in the state’s tenancy regulations if elected governor.
Gatekeepers News reports that Hamzat made the promise on Sunday during a governorship debate organised by the Nigeria Debate Consortium, a coalition comprising The PUNCH, Channels Television, TVC News, TheCable and Vanguard, in Lekki, Lagos.
He said the Lagos State Real Estate Registration Agency Law, enacted in 2025, provides for a one-year rent payment rule aimed at curbing arbitrary advance rent demands by landlords.
The APC candidate said his administration would prioritise enforcement of the provision and urged real estate agents to register with the Lagos State Real Estate Registration Agency through its website to ensure compliance.
“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.”
Hamzat said residents must also be encouraged to use the agency’s online platform to enable the government to monitor compliance and receive feedback on violations.
“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,” he added.
Hamzat promises more affordable housing
On housing affordability, the deputy governor said his administration would complete ongoing housing projects and reduce the time required to obtain property regularisation and title documents.
He explained that the state government had automated the application process, allowing residents to submit requests for land documentation online.
According to him, delays in processing property documents could increase housing costs and make homeownership more difficult for residents.
Hamzat also called on private estate developers to partner with the state government in providing affordable housing in less affluent communities.
He urged developers building luxury properties in high-income areas such as Ikoyi and Victoria Island to consider investing in lower-income neighbourhoods.
“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.
The APC candidate said his manifesto contains a component called “everyday dignity”, which seeks to ensure that housing costs do not undermine residents’ quality of life.
“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.
His pledge comes amid growing concerns over rising rents and arbitrary advance payment demands by landlords across Lagos.
Section 4 of the Lagos State Tenancy Law 2011 prohibits landlords and their agents from demanding more than one year’s rent in advance. However, enforcement of the provision has remained weak in recent years.
