ALP Review on Reforming Tenancy in Lagos - An Overview Of The Lagos State Tenancy And Recovery Of Premises Bill 2025

Introduction
Nigeria’s commercial capital and most populous city, Lagos, faces a herculean task in addressing the contemporary issues involving landlord and tenant relationships which are currently regulated by the Tenancy Law of Lagos State 2015 (the “Tenancy Law 2015”), Rent Control and Recovery of Residential Premises Law 1997(“RCRP Law”)1 and Recovery of Premises Law (“RPL”)2 all of which have been criticized for weak enforcement, outdated processes, lenient penalties, and their inability to provide an adequate regulatory framework to regulate landlord-tenant relationships.

In response to this, the Lagos State House of Assembly is considering the Lagos State Tenancy and Recovery of Premises Bill 2025 (“the Bill” or “the Lagos Tenancy Bill”). The Bill, which seeks to repeal the Tenancy Law 2015, proposes a more robust, digitized, and inclusive legal framework to govern tenancy relationships across the entire state.

This article examines the key innovations introduced by the Bill, highlights potential challenges in its implementation, and offers recommendations.