Real estate in Lomé: renting, buying, asking prices, leases and land titles

Renting a home in Lomé requires a written lease. Since Decree No. 2022-001/PR of 5 January 2022, which applies in Greater Lomé, the security deposit (caution) and the rent guarantee (garantie de loyer) are each capped at three months' rent. Buying is secured by a land title (titre foncier): Law No. 2018-005 on the Land and State Property Code makes every transfer of real estate ownership conditional on the property being registered, on pain of absolute nullity, and requires a notarial deed. On Imonga, as of 14 September 2026, the 38 villas for rent in Greater Lomé (the metropolitan area) show a median asking rent of 650,000 FCFA a month, the 19 apartments 250,000 FCFA, and the 16 plots of land for sale a median asking price of 50,000,000 FCFA. These figures describe a sample of listings, not the whole market: the first section explains where they come from and how far they can be trusted.

What Imonga listings in Greater Lomé show

As of 14 September 2026, Imonga has 115 published listings in Greater Lomé (the metropolitan area): the city itself plus outlying neighbourhoods attached to Lomé such as Baguida, Agoè, Adakpamé and Avépozo. This listing area does not necessarily match the administrative Greater Lomé covered by the lease decree. Three caveats first. 114 of the 115 listings come from a single agency and were imported from its own posts. 67 were first put online in 2024, 16 in 2025 and 31 in 2026 (one undated), so the price or availability may have changed since. And we do not compute a median on fewer than 5 listings. The range shown runs from the 10th to the 90th percentile (P10 to P90): it leaves out the cheapest 10% and the most expensive 10% of listings.

Property type	Listings	Median asking price	P10 to P90 range
Villa for rent	38	650,000 FCFA a month	350,000 to 1,765,000 FCFA
Apartment for rent	19	250,000 FCFA a month	126,000 to 770,000 FCFA
Land for sale	16	50,000,000 FCFA	25,000,000 to 175,000,000 FCFA
House for sale	8	150,000,000 FCFA	58,500,000 to 226,000,000 FCFA
Commercial space for rent	15	1,100,000 FCFA (14 listings, excluding one priced at 0)	not meaningful: two prices of 10,000 FCFA with no unit stated
Office for rent	7	250,000 FCFA	not meaningful: two prices of 10,000 FCFA with no unit stated
Warehouse for rent	7	1,200,000 FCFA	not meaningful: one price of 2,500 FCFA with no unit stated
Other (event halls, duplex, buildings)	5	too few listings	not computed

These are the figures on the Lomé property prices page, which is recalculated continuously from the same listings. Two pairs of listings look like duplicates (same text, same price): two villas in Tokoin Hôpital and two apartments in Adakpamé. Keeping one of each, the median rises to 700,000 FCFA across 37 villas and to 275,000 FCFA across 18 apartments. Villas range from 200,000 FCFA (a 3-bedroom single-storey villa in Avépozo) to 2,500,000 FCFA. Browse the villas for rent in Lomé to see each property in detail.

Where the listings are

We counted the neighbourhood given in each listing (the location field, or the address when the location just says "Lomé"), merging capitalisation and spelling variants: "BAGUIDA", "BAGuida" and "Baguaida" count as Baguida, "Avepozzo" as Avépozo, and Tokoin Hôpital or Agoè Cacavéli as Tokoin and Agoè. Tokoin and Baguida lead with 13 listings each (9 of them villas in Baguida). Then come Bè (8, including 3 warehouses in the port area), Agoè (8), Avépozo (7), Adidogomé (6), Nyékonakpoè (6), Togo 2000 (5), Hédzranawoé (5), Agbalépédo (4) and Djidjolé (4). Twenty-three other neighbourhoods have 1 to 3 listings, such as Kodjoviakopé, Adakpamé, Legbassito and Kpogan, and 3 listings only say "city centre". This ranking reflects the portfolio of the agency publishing on Imonga, not the real size of each neighbourhood's market.

Renting: written lease, deposit and rent guarantee

For a home in Greater Lomé, the lease must be in writing, and the landlord cannot ask for more than three months' deposit or more than three months' rent guarantee. That is the framework of Decree No. 2022-001/PR, as explained by Togo's Ministry of Urban Planning. The ministry notes that before the decree, some landlords asked for up to three years.

• The deposit (caution) is paid when you move in, to cover what you might owe the landlord (damage, unpaid rent). It is capped at three months' rent.
• The rent guarantee (garantie de loyer) is paid to the landlord when the lease is signed. It is also capped at three months. If you are asked for "rent in advance", have the lease state whether it is the deposit or the guarantee.
• The rent itself is set freely. According to the Togolese Press Agency (ATOP), it can be revised every three years, by no more than 10%.
• Fees of a real estate professional who negotiates and drafts the lease are split equally between landlord and tenant, according to the ministry's note on the financial terms of the lease.
• Service charges: have the lease state what the rent does not include (water, electricity, security guard, waste collection). Before signing, ask to see the property's latest electricity and water bills, and test the wiring and plumbing during the visit.
• Repairs: major repairs fall on the owner, upkeep and minor repairs on the tenant. The decree also bans some clauses, such as forbidding the tenant to host someone or making the tenant solely liable for any damage (articles 10 to 22 as presented by the ministry).

Example: for a villa at 350,000 FCFA a month, the landlord can ask for at most 1,050,000 FCFA as deposit and 1,050,000 FCFA as rent guarantee, so 2,100,000 FCFA before the first month's rent. Beyond that, the decree provides for penalties (article 82, according to the ministry). The model lease is available at town halls in Greater Lomé. The decree only covers residential lettings; outside Greater Lomé, ask the town hall. Our article on renting a villa in Lomé covers viewings and the move-in inventory.

Offices, shops, warehouses: different rules

Premises rented for business use fall under the OHADA Uniform Act on General Commercial Law (articles 101 to 134), which applies in Togo as an OHADA member state. The lease term is free. A tenant who has run the business on the premises for at least two years gains a right to renewal (article 123), and an open-ended lease can only be ended with at least six months' notice (article 125). Separately, the Land Code requires a notarial deed for any property lease longer than three years (article 163).

Buying: check the land status before the price

In Togo, the only document that proves ownership beyond dispute is the land title. The Land and State Property Code (Law No. 2018-005 of 14 June 2018) says so in several articles:

• Article 256: the land title is "final, intangible and unassailable, except in case of fraud or error".
• Articles 161 and 162: any transfer of real estate ownership, in urban, peri-urban or rural areas, is conditional on the property being registered, on pain of absolute nullity of the contract.
• Article 163: a sale, like any deed transferring a real property right, must be made by notarial deed.
• Article 52: a right over a property only binds third parties once it is published in the land register. Until the transfer is recorded, the purchase cannot be enforced against third parties, including a possible second buyer.
• Article 665: for unregistered land, rights can be proven by a notarial deed, an administrative certificate, subdivision documents or a court ruling, among others. But against a land title, the court gives priority to the title (article 668).

Sellers often show other papers, such as an ACD (attestation de détention coutumière, a certificate of customary holding in Togo) or receipts bearing official stamps. They do not replace a land title: even an administrative certificate gives way to it (article 668). Our guide to land status in Togo compares these documents. For a buyer of foreign nationality, article 317 makes any deed transferring ownership with a Togolese citizen subject to prior authorisation from the public authority, on pain of nullity.

Steps to buy a property with a land title

1. Get a copy of the land title and the seller's ID, and check that the names match.
2. Order an "état descriptif" (title search) from the land registry. It shows the registered owner, the area and any mortgage (explained by a Lomé notary). Order it again just before signing.
3. Have a licensed surveyor check the boundaries: the markers on the ground must match the title plan.
4. Sign the sale deed before a notary, who checks the seller's rights and obtains the release of any mortgage.
5. Record the transfer with the OTR's Directorate of Cadastre and Land Registry. Since 1 March 2025, the application must come with a deposit covering the estimated procedure costs (OTR notice No. 003/2025).
6. If you are buying only part of the land covered by the title, it must be subdivided: boundary marking of the lots, a subdivision plan and a notarial transfer request (article 312 of the Code).

Costs published by the authorities

A full transfer of an already registered property costs a flat fee of 35,000 FCFA, which replaced a rate of 4% of market value. This is stated in the Togolese Revenue Office (OTR) 2023-2025 strategic plan and by the Directorate of Cadastre, Land Registry and Registration.

Item	Published amount	Source
Full transfer of a land title	flat 35,000 FCFA (instead of 4% of value)	OTR, 2023-2025 strategic plan
Registration duties on a first registration	1.5% of value (instead of 5%)	OTR, 2023-2025 strategic plan
Subdivision of a title	0.9% (instead of 4%)	OTR, 2023-2025 strategic plan
Deposit for procedure costs	amount set by the registrar	OTR, notice No. 003/2025
Notary's fees	regulated scale for many deeds, amount not published here	National Chamber of Notaries
Surveyor, plan, boundary marking	not published: ask for a written quote	none

These rates come from the March 2023 document. A finance act can change them, so ask the notary for a written, itemised statement before signing. The National Chamber of Notaries of Togo states that notaries' fees are regulated and publishes a directory of its members.

Common traps and how to avoid them

Selling the same plot twice

The Land Code calls this offence stellionat: selling someone, through false statements, a property already sold to someone else. It is penalised under article 702. The defence is to check the état descriptif just before the deed, to pay only at signature before the notary, and to have the transfer recorded without delay. When two land titles have been issued on the same property, the court upholds the older one (article 666).

Land sold with "stamps" or without a title

Of the 16 plots for sale in Greater Lomé (the metropolitan area) on Imonga as of 14 September 2026, 10 state a land title and 1 a "land title in progress". Four listings only mention "stamps" ("1 tampon", "1 tampon OTR", "3 tampons" twice), and one names no document at all. The Code does not recognise "stamps" as such: ask which deed carries them and compare it with the list in article 665. A title "in progress" is not a title: until registration is complete, the sale remains exposed to the nullity set out in articles 161 and 162.

The "global" land title

One land listing mentions a "titre foncier global". This suggests the plot for sale is part of a larger title. If so, the buyer only becomes the registered owner after subdivision (article 312), which adds cost and time.

Informal subdivisions

A subdivision made without the required authorisations is called clandestine. A good-faith owner of a lot from such a subdivision owes the State 50% of the lot's area, or its cash equivalent (articles 349 to 351). Subdividing land that has no land title or document recognised by article 665 is punishable by a fine of 1,000,000 to 5,000,000 FCFA and two to five years in prison, or one of those penalties (article 709).

Rental middlemen

Pay nothing before you have visited, checked that the person is the owner or holds the owner's mandate, and received a written lease. Refuse any demand above three months' deposit and three months' guarantee. Agent fees are split equally between landlord and tenant; always ask for a receipt.

On Imonga: land, houses, new-build projects and professionals

All listings in the city are on the Lomé real estate page. For buyers, the land for sale in Lomé page, like the house listings, shows the land document stated by the advertiser, which you still need to verify using the steps above. All 8 houses for sale in Greater Lomé state a land title.

As of 14 September 2026, Imonga lists 2 real estate projects in Togo. The first is Cité LTI in Agoè Legbassito: duplex villas from 85,000,000 FCFA, by a verified developer. The second is the Assivito building, a six-storey (R+5) block renting offices, shops and apartments, with an indicative rate of 8,000 to 10,000 FCFA per m² according to its page. The directory of professionals has 21 professionals in Togo, 15 developers and 6 agencies, of which 3 are marked as verified.

Who to contact

Need	Contact
Sale deed, checking the seller's rights, lease over three years	A notary (directory of the National Chamber of Notaries of Togo)
Title search (état descriptif), transfer, registration, subdivision	Directorate of Cadastre and Land Registry (OTR)
Boundary marking, plans, boundary checks	A licensed surveyor
Model residential lease, recording customary land rights	The local town hall (articles 629 onwards of the Land Code for customary rights)
Land policy, State land	National Agency for State Property and Land (ANDF, articles 19 and 20 of the Code)

Frequently asked questions

How many months' deposit can a landlord ask for in Lomé?

For a home in Greater Lomé, three months at most. Decree No. 2022-001/PR of 5 January 2022 caps the deposit at three months' rent and the rent guarantee, paid at signature, at three months too. The total before moving in therefore cannot exceed six months' rent. Beyond that, the decree provides for penalties. These rules do not cover offices and shops, which fall under the OHADA Uniform Act.

How much does it cost to rent a villa in Lomé?

On Imonga, as of 14 September 2026, the 38 villas for rent in Greater Lomé (the metropolitan area) show a median asking rent of 650,000 FCFA a month, with most between 350,000 and 1,765,000 FCFA. The 19 apartments have a median of 250,000 FCFA. Almost the whole sample comes from one agency, and 25 of the 38 villas were first put online in 2024. Compare several properties in the same neighbourhood before negotiating.

Can you buy land without a land title in Togo?

It is very risky. The 2018 Land Code makes every transfer of real estate ownership conditional on registration, on pain of absolute nullity of the contract (articles 161 and 162). A notarial deed or an administrative certificate can serve as proof for unregistered land (article 665), but neither replaces the title. If the seller has no title, registration must come before the sale.

How much does a land title transfer cost?

According to the Togolese Revenue Office, a full transfer of a registered property carries a flat fee of 35,000 FCFA, which replaced 4% of market value. On top come the deposit for procedure costs required since March 2025, the notary's fees and, where needed, the surveyor. Ask the notary for a written statement of costs before signing.

Can a foreigner buy property in Lomé?

Yes, but article 317 of the Land Code makes any deed transferring ownership between a Togolese citizen and a foreigner subject to prior authorisation from the public authority, on pain of nullity. The same authorisation is needed for a lease longer than nine years. A member of the diaspora who holds Togolese nationality is not affected. The notary will explain the procedure.

Sources

Pages and texts accessed on 14 September 2026.

• Law No. 2018-005 of 14 June 2018 on the Land and State Property Code, full text (FAOLEX)
• Togolese Press Agency, Decree No. 2022-001/PR explained (9 February 2022)
• Ministry of Urban Planning, key messages on the decree (7 July 2022)
• Ministry of Urban Planning, financial terms of residential leases (20 July 2022)
• Ministry of Urban Planning, "Le saviez-vous ?" on the decree
• Ministry of Urban Planning, decree presented to the media (16 March 2022)
• OHADA Uniform Act on General Commercial Law, OHADA Official Journal of 15 February 2011
• OHADA, member states
• Togolese Revenue Office, 2023-2025 strategic plan (March 2023)
• Directorate of Cadastre, Land Registry and Registration, cost of title transfers
• OTR notice No. 003/2025 on the procedure-cost deposit (12 February 2025)
• National Chamber of Notaries of Togo
• Komi Tsakadi, notary in Lomé, "Achat immobilier avec titre foncier : mode d'emploi"
• Imonga data: 115 published listings in Greater Lomé (the metropolitan area), 2 projects and 21 professionals in Togo, extracted from the site API on 14 September 2026.