{"id":5183,"date":"2018-05-23T12:34:46","date_gmt":"2018-05-23T10:34:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/privateprop.wpengine.com\/?p=5183"},"modified":"2018-05-23T15:26:31","modified_gmt":"2018-05-23T13:26:31","slug":"tenants-rights-nigeria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/tenants-rights-nigeria\/","title":{"rendered":"Tenant Rights: Things Bad Landlords Don&#8217;t Want You to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tenant rights are more important than you probably realise and the first step towards protecting your rights as a tenant is to know what those rights are. Without knowing these rights, you put yourself at the mercy of landlords and caretakers in Nigeria<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Before we delve into your rights as a tenant, let us start by establishing who a tenant is within the ambit of the law as well as the real estate space.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5184\" src=\"https:\/\/privateprop.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-1.jpg\" alt=\"Tenant - Tenant Rights - Private Property 1\" width=\"1200\" height=\"627\" srcset=\"https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-1.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-1-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-1-768x401.jpg 768w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-1-1024x535.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-1-600x314.jpg 600w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-1-696x365.jpg 696w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-1-1068x558.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-1-804x420.jpg 804w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-1-100x53.jpg 100w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-1-218x114.jpg 218w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-1-324x170.jpg 324w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Who is a Tenant?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A tenant is a person who occupies land or property rented from a landlord and is subject to the payment of rent. With this established, let us proceed to examine tenant rights and what they mean to you as a tenant in Nigeria.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>1. Right to Issuance of Receipt of Payment<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As a tenant, it is important that you pay your rent but it is not considered proof of the existence of tenancy until payment is made. One of the reasons why it is an essential part of a tenancy is because it does the following:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is first and foremost, a proof of payment<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Helps the court calculate the precise time frame for a valid quit notice especially in a situation where there is no agreement<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The receipt is needed for the calculation of a mesne profit (which is the rent a tenant incurs upon the expiration of a valid quit notice, which was served on him).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Needed to counter and clear allegations of your refusal or inability to adhere to timely payment of rent<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The receipt of payment is an acknowledgement from your landlord that he\/she received payment from you<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5186\" src=\"https:\/\/privateprop.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Rent-Receipt-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property.jpg\" alt=\"Rent Receipt in Nigeria - Tenant Rights - Private Property\" width=\"1200\" height=\"627\" srcset=\"https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Rent-Receipt-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Rent-Receipt-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Rent-Receipt-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-768x401.jpg 768w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Rent-Receipt-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-1024x535.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Rent-Receipt-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-600x314.jpg 600w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Rent-Receipt-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-696x365.jpg 696w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Rent-Receipt-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-1068x558.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Rent-Receipt-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-804x420.jpg 804w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Rent-Receipt-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-100x53.jpg 100w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Rent-Receipt-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-218x114.jpg 218w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Rent-Receipt-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-324x170.jpg 324w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For the receipt of payment to be considered valid, it must contain the following:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Your name as well as the name of the landlord<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The specific amount of money that was paid as rent<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The date the payment was made<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The type of property for which the rent was paid. For instance, was it a 2-bedroom apartment, a mini-flat or a detached house?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The period of time that the rent paid is expected to cover. For instance, was the rent paid to cover a year, 2 years or 6 months?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The signature of the person receiving the payment must also be on the receipt.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Did you know that it is actually an actionable offence for the landlord to decline the issuance of receipt of payment to you? Even in a situation where you are only making a partial payment of rent for the property, a receipt still needs to be issued to you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the absence of a printed receipt, a written agreement, which is endorsed by the landlord in the presence of a witness stating that he\/she has received payment from you will be considered a valid receipt of payment. This is in line with tenant rights.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Regardless of how cordial your relationship is with your landlord, always insist of being issued a receipt upon payment of your rent<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5187\" src=\"https:\/\/privateprop.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenancy-written-agreement-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property.jpg\" alt=\"Tenancy written agreement - Tenant Rights - Private Property\" width=\"1200\" height=\"627\" srcset=\"https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenancy-written-agreement-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenancy-written-agreement-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenancy-written-agreement-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-768x401.jpg 768w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenancy-written-agreement-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-1024x535.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenancy-written-agreement-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-600x314.jpg 600w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenancy-written-agreement-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-696x365.jpg 696w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenancy-written-agreement-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-1068x558.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenancy-written-agreement-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-804x420.jpg 804w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenancy-written-agreement-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-100x53.jpg 100w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenancy-written-agreement-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-218x114.jpg 218w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenancy-written-agreement-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-324x170.jpg 324w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>2. Right to Written Agreement<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Agreements can either be oral or written but experts advised that you should opt for a written agreement. A written agreement removes all elements of doubt and ambiguity around the intention of all parties involved (you and the landlord). This is backed by tenant rights.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">According to the law, tenancy agreements above 3 years are mandated to be written while those lesser than 3 years can either be oral or written. Experts have however advised that even if your tenancy is for 2 weeks, you should opt for a written agreement. Details that should be included in a written agreement include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Your name as well as the name of the landlord<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Details of the type of property that is being rented out<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The location of the property you are renting as well as the features that come with it<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The period of time for which the rent will cover<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The amount of money that is being paid as rent<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The date payment was made<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The modalities for an upward review of the rent<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The duration of &#8216;quit notice&#8217; to be served by the landlord<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The person responsible for repair works within and around the property<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The person who bears the responsibility for expenses like water, electricity and sanitation bills<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A post office stamp should be affixed to make it acceptable in court as an evidence<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Before a written agreement can be considered valid, both parties (you and the landlord) are to execute the agreement by signing and dating it with at least one witness each<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You need to be careful with your written agreement because landlords are known to duplicate a single agreement and use this for all their tenancy agreements. The downside of this is that such an agreement leaves certain intentions unexpressed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Stay on the lookout for agreements that are drafted by the landlord&#8217;s lawyer and handed over to you. Such agreements have a reputation of being confusing and unfavourable to you in the long run. What you want to do here is to have a property lawyer to help you look into such agreements to spot anything that has been planted there to work against you one way or the other. Your lawyer then advises you on what to add and what you need to pull out.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Never jump into an agreement orally or without a property lawyer to guide you. Don&#8217;t let your current relationship with your landlord becloud your judgement. Relationships can go sour, which can leave you in a difficult situation in the absence of an agreement that is legally binding on you and the landlord.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5188\" src=\"https:\/\/privateprop.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-living-in-peace-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property.jpg\" alt=\"Tenant living in peace - Tenant Rights - Private Property\" width=\"1200\" height=\"627\" srcset=\"https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-living-in-peace-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-living-in-peace-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-living-in-peace-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-768x401.jpg 768w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-living-in-peace-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-1024x535.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-living-in-peace-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-600x314.jpg 600w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-living-in-peace-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-696x365.jpg 696w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-living-in-peace-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-1068x558.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-living-in-peace-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-804x420.jpg 804w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-living-in-peace-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-100x53.jpg 100w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-living-in-peace-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-218x114.jpg 218w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Tenant-living-in-peace-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-324x170.jpg 324w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>3. Right to Occupy Rented Property in Peace<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The moment you pay your rent and append your signature on a written agreement, you earn the right to occupy the rented property in peace. When you become a tenant, you have legal and equitable right over the rented space. Your tenant rights make you entitled to this.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This right is absolute and you can sue trespassers; your landlord or caretaker are not exempted from this. The landlord still owns the property and is free to maintain the property but this has to be done with your knowledge. All forms of maintenance should be done at reasonable hours of the day. For instance, a landlord cannot decide to cut down a huge mango tree at 11:30pm.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Upon renting the property out to you, the landlord temporarily relinquishes his control of the property over to you up until the expiration of your tenancy. A landlord can only trample on your rights as a tenant when you are ignorant of such rights.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In a case where your landlord abuses this right, don&#8217;t hesitate to inform your property lawyer or the closest police station.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5189\" src=\"https:\/\/privateprop.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Quit-Notice-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria.jpg\" alt=\"Quit Notice - Tenant Rights - Private Property Nigeria\" width=\"1200\" height=\"627\" srcset=\"https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Quit-Notice-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Quit-Notice-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Quit-Notice-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-768x401.jpg 768w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Quit-Notice-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-1024x535.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Quit-Notice-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-600x314.jpg 600w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Quit-Notice-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-696x365.jpg 696w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Quit-Notice-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-1068x558.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Quit-Notice-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-804x420.jpg 804w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Quit-Notice-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-100x53.jpg 100w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Quit-Notice-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-218x114.jpg 218w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Quit-Notice-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-324x170.jpg 324w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>4. Right to Valid Quit Notice Before Eviction<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As a tenant, your landlord is not legally empowered to throw you or your valuables out of his\/her property without a valid notice to quit the property.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Before your landlord can get you to quit his\/her property, there must be strict compliance with the Recovery of Premises Law and it has to be relevant. Your tenant rights makes you entitled to this.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">According to the Recovery of Premises Law, a valid Quit Notice (Notice to Quit) must be written and served on you before your landlord can terminate your tenancy. The law is very clear on this.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The duration of the Quit Notice varies according to the conditions of your tenancy as seen below:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A one-year (or above) tenancy will require at least a notice of 6 months<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A one-month tenancy will require a minimum notice of one month<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A one-week tenancy will require a minimum notice of one week<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is important to add here that you and the landlord can agree on a totally different duration for the quit notice in the written agreement. What this means, for instance, is that despite the fact that the law stipulates that your landlord should give you a notice of 6 months to quit a tenancy of one year, it can be reduced to a month or a week&#8217;s notice through the written and signed agreement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Real estate experts have repeatedly emphasised the need to go through the agreement with a property lawyer before you append your signature to a tenancy agreement. The real estate space is replete with stories of tenants like you who signed a tenancy agreement to be evicted without a &#8216;Notice to Quit&#8217; without realising the full implication of what they were signing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Never forget that the law does not care to know if you understood what you were signing or not. In law, this is known as &#8216;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ignorantia_juris_non_excusat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ignorantia legis non excuse<\/a>&#8216; (ignorance of the law is no excuse). If you sign a legal agreement that limits your rights, you will be bound by the same agreement. Under the law, this is known as &#8216;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Volenti_non_fit_injuria\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">volenti non fit injuria<\/a>.&#8217;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Did you know that if you owe your landlord rent for your property for 3 consecutive months, the landlord has the right to issue you a &#8216;Notice to Quit.&#8217;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5190\" src=\"https:\/\/privateprop.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/7-Days-Notice-to-Recover-Premises-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria.jpg\" alt=\"7 Days Notice to Recover Premises - Tenant Rights - Private Property Nigeria\" width=\"1200\" height=\"627\" srcset=\"https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/7-Days-Notice-to-Recover-Premises-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/7-Days-Notice-to-Recover-Premises-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/7-Days-Notice-to-Recover-Premises-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-768x401.jpg 768w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/7-Days-Notice-to-Recover-Premises-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-1024x535.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/7-Days-Notice-to-Recover-Premises-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-600x314.jpg 600w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/7-Days-Notice-to-Recover-Premises-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-696x365.jpg 696w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/7-Days-Notice-to-Recover-Premises-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-1068x558.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/7-Days-Notice-to-Recover-Premises-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-804x420.jpg 804w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/7-Days-Notice-to-Recover-Premises-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-100x53.jpg 100w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/7-Days-Notice-to-Recover-Premises-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-218x114.jpg 218w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/7-Days-Notice-to-Recover-Premises-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-324x170.jpg 324w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>5. Right to a Compulsory 7 Days Notice to Recover Premises<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Under the Nigerian law, you are entitled to a compulsory &#8216;7 Days Notice to Recover Premises.&#8217; This notice comes from your landlord&#8217;s lawyer to notify you that the lawyer will proceed to court after 7 days of serving you this notice, recover the over- held premises on behalf of the landlord.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This 7-day notice comes after the expiration of the initial notice to you to quit the property. The additional 7 days notice serves to legally protect you from being forcefully ejected or humiliated. It also gives you sufficient time to quit the property.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We should add here that the &#8216;7 Days Notice to Recover Premises&#8217; can only be served upon the expiration of the initial quit notice. The 7 days notice is to be calculated from the day after the service of the notice on the tenant and not from the day of service. If it is served before a &#8216;Quit Notice&#8217; or during the lifespan of a &#8216;Quit Notice,&#8217; it is rendered invalid.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5191\" src=\"https:\/\/privateprop.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Houses-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria.jpg\" alt=\"Houses in Nigeria - Tenant Rights - Private Property Nigeria\" width=\"1200\" height=\"627\" srcset=\"https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Houses-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Houses-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Houses-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-768x401.jpg 768w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Houses-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-1024x535.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Houses-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-600x314.jpg 600w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Houses-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-696x365.jpg 696w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Houses-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-1068x558.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Houses-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-804x420.jpg 804w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Houses-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-100x53.jpg 100w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Houses-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-218x114.jpg 218w, https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Houses-in-Nigeria-Tenant-Rights-Private-Property-Nigeria-324x170.jpg 324w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Final Thoughts on Tenant Rights<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Regardless of the <a href=\"https:\/\/privateprop.wpengine.com\/neighbourhood-guides\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">neighbourhood<\/a> where the property you are renting is situated, the law is clear on what a landlord can and cannot do. Tenant rights are clear. To avoid being manipulated into appending your signature to dubious tenancy agreements that can come back to haunt you, consider hiring a real estate lawyer to protect your interest.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Have you had any nasty personal experience with a Nigerian landlord or is there one you can share with us?<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tenant rights are more important than you probably realise and the first step towards protecting your rights as a tenant is to know what those rights are. Without knowing these rights, you put yourself at the mercy of landlords and caretakers in Nigeria Before we delve into your rights as a tenant, let us start [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":5192,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[323,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-property-guides","types-in-depth-guide","intent-evergreen"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5183"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5183\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5194,"href":"https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5183\/revisions\/5194"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/privateproperty.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}