Respite for Tenants As Lagos Assembly Calls for Enforcement of Tenancy Law

The Lagos State House of Assembly has called on the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to enforce the Tenancy Law of Lagos State 2015 to deter landlords from the arbitrary and illegal practice of unregulated rent increase in the state.

The House also resolved to call on the Commissioner for Information and Strategy to rev up sensitisation and awareness activities about the provisions of the Tenancy Law.

This resolution was reached during plenary on Tuesday after a motion by Hon. Sa’ad Olumoh, the member representing Ajeromi Ifelodun Constituency 1, on the need to curb excessive rent increments by landlords, which he said have led to an increase in the number of homeless people across the state.

Hon. Olumoh cited Section 37 of the Tenancy Law of 2015, which prohibits unreasonable rent increases and provides legal protection for tenants against this act by landlords.

Indeed, the Lagos State Tenancy Law 2015 aims to protect tenants and landlords in the state by outlining the rights and obligations of both parties, including provisions for rent payment, notice periods for termination of tenancy, and dispute resolution.

The law also sets a limit on how much rent can be paid in advance and prohibits landlords from using ‘self-help’ methods to evict tenants.

The member representing Surulere Constituency 1, Hon. Desmond Elliot, seconded the motion, complaining that because of the infrastructural development and renewal designed to make life easier for his constituents, rents have, conversely, skyrocketed. He described this as a menace to society and called for urgent action by the House as “the last hope of the common man.”

In his contribution, Hon. Aro Moshood slammed the fact that many landlords in Lagos State raise rent without considering the income of their tenants, while the law states that the landlord cannot do so without duly serving the tenant prior notification. The member representing Ikorodu Constituency 11 further condemned the eviction of occupants without going through the legal process as stipulated in the Law, saying, “Many people earning minimum wage cannot afford to get a room for themselves.”

However, Hon. Shabi Adebola (Lagos Mainland 11 Constituency) called for circumspection in enforcing the law because of the corresponding increase in the prices of building materials. He implored the government to live up to expectations by providing Low-Cost Housing to the less privileged in the state.

Similarly, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, described the issue as sensitive, stating, “Nothing should be looked at in isolation. We need to go beyond the issue of rent increment and consider the cost of building materials. There is a need for an interface between the real estate agents and investors.”

To this end, Speaker Obasa directed the Committee on Housing, chaired by Hon. Ege Olusegun (Ojo Constituency 1), to invite Hon. Olumoh and Hon. Elliot, and all concerned stakeholders and related agencies to meet and find a lasting solution to this menace.

In another development, the House passed the bill for a law to establish the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy, which aims to provide for the development of young persons for leadership purposes in the state while nurturing the next generation of value-based Nigerian leaders. Subsequently, the Speaker directed the Acting Clerk, Mr. Abubakar Otun, to send a clean copy of the Bill to the governor for assent.