The Lagos State Government has once again warned against the collection of tenancy agreement fees exceeding the legally permitted 10 per cent and has encouraged residents to report such violations to the appropriate authorities.

Speaking at the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa, Ikeja, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Housing, Mrs. Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, reiterated the government’s position against the breach of the state’s tenancy law.

“We have been inundated with complaints about unscrupulous individuals making life difficult for Lagosians by demanding outrageous fees for tenancy agreements and commissions,” she said in a statement issued by the state government.

“We urge members of the public not to remain silent but to report such agents and landlords. The government cannot be everywhere at once.”

Odunuga-Bakare reaffirmed that the maximum allowable tenancy agreement fee remains 10 per cent of the annual rent, and called on all stakeholders to comply with the law.

She acknowledged that the state’s growing population contributes to housing pressures but noted that efforts were underway to address the issue. “We have met with associations of estate agents, and they have assured us that those involved in these exploitative practices are not registered with their professional bodies,” she said, indicating that unlicensed agents were often responsible for the infractions.

Earlier, the Lagos State Commissioner for Housing, Mr. Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, revealed that the government is considering introducing monthly and quarterly rent payment options to ease the burden on residents struggling to meet annual rent obligations.