Lagos 2027: Governorship candidates promise crackdown on rent racketeering, exploitative agents

Candidates in the ongoing 2027 Lagos State governorship debate have outlined plans to address arbitrary rent increases, exploitative agency charges and the rising cost of accommodation across the state.

The ADC governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, proposed legislation to regulate rent increases, including a mandatory six-month notice period and a limit of between 20 and 30 per cent on permissible increases.

Rhodes-Vivour also described excessive agency and legal fees as a form of racketeering, citing instances where tenants pay as much as ₦500,000 in rent and an additional ₦500,000 in agency and legal charges. He proposed a government-backed feedback mechanism through which tenants could report exploitative practices for investigation and appropriate action.

Beyond regulating rent and agency charges, he said his administration would increase the state’s housing stock by building more homes and partnering with property owners whose buildings remained incomplete. Under the proposed arrangement, the government would support the completion or renovation of such properties in exchange for temporary access to the housing units for public use.

Also speaking, Lagos State Deputy Governor and APC governorship candidate, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, said the next administration must prioritise the enforcement of the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority law, which was passed in 2025, to protect tenants from excessive advance rent demands and unregistered estate agents.

Hamzat said the law provides for one-year rent payments and requires estate agents to register on an official database, urging residents to use the platform to help the government identify and track practitioners involved in fraudulent activities. He added that the government would complete ongoing housing projects, including those in Igbogbo, while accelerating the processing of property regularisation and title documents through automation to reduce housing costs.

The deputy governor further proposed stronger partnerships with private developers to ensure that housing projects cater to both high-income and low-income earners. Referring to the everyday dignity component of his manifesto, he said tenants should not be subjected to rent demands that undermine their dignity, adding that the government must engage landlords while recognising the realities of a capitalist economy.

Meanwhile, another governorship aspirant, Mr. Doherty of the NDC, identified excessive agency and legal charges as a major burden on low-income tenants, describing the practice as racketeering. He said his manifesto proposed the establishment of an ombudsman’s office to address the problem and provide tenants with an avenue to seek redress.