Rent or buy in Togo: what the rules say, what it costs, how to decide

In Togo, renting is the right choice as long as you do not know how many years you will stay in the home, or as long as the property you want has no land title (titre foncier). Buying starts to make sense when three conditions are met: a registered property, financing whose total cost you know, and a horizon of several years. Entry costs differ: a few months of rent for a lease, versus duties, fees and often a loan for a purchase. No public source gives a break-even point that holds for the whole country. You work it out with your own figures, using the method below.

Renting in Togo: what you pay upfront

In Greater Lomé, the deposit (caution) is capped at three months of rent, and so is the rent guarantee (garantie de loyer). This comes from Decree No. 2022-001/PR of 5 January 2022 regulating the deposit, the rent guarantee and the residential lease, as presented by Togo's Ministry of Urban Planning, Housing and Land Reform (page dated 11 February 2022, accessed 12 October 2026).

The same page establishes three more points:

• The residential lease is a written contract ("Le bail d'habitation est un contrat écrit."). It can be signed privately or before a notary.
• The lease must be registered with the tax administration.
• The decree applies first in Greater Lomé. Its application in other towns depends on a further decree taken in the council of ministers, after an evaluation.

The ministry has published a model residential lease (page dated 18 March 2022, accessed 12 October 2026), prepared with the Chamber of Notaries. Ask the landlord or the agent (démarcheur) to use it, and have every payment labelled in writing: deposit, guarantee, advance rent. Outside Greater Lomé we found no published cap: amounts are negotiated, and only a written lease protects you. In a dispute, see a lawyer or a notary. Lease rules are covered in our article on tenant rights, deposits and notice periods.

Buying in Togo: a registered property, a notary, and fees

Do not buy a property without a land title. The governing text is Law No. 2018-005 of 14 June 2018, the Land and State Property Code. According to an Afrik.com article of 16 November 2018 (accessed 12 October 2026), its articles 161 and 162 prohibit the sale, transfer or exchange of any property that has not been registered beforehand, and a land transaction must be approved by a notary. The same article reports that land disputes then made up more than 70% of the cases filed in the country's courts.

So have a notary check the status of the land before you pay anything, including a down payment. Our guide to land status in Togo explains the documents you will be shown.

Duties to pay

Schedule reported by the office of Me Komi Tsakadi, notary in Lomé (undated page, accessed 12 October 2026), which cites Ordinance No. 2020-005 and Order No. 220/MEF/SG of 20 November 2018:

This schedule, as reported by the office of Me Komi Tsakadi, does not include the notary's fees, nor the surveyor and boundary-marking (bornage) costs: we found no published tariff, so ask for a written quote. A finance law can change these duties: have the current amount confirmed by the notary or by the Togolese Revenue Office (OTR). Each cost item is explained in our article on purchase costs, notary fees and registration.

The loan

The cost of credit has a legal ceiling. According to BCEAO Notice No. 007-12-2025 of 31 December 2025 (accessed 12 October 2026), the WAMU Council of Ministers set the usury rate at 14.0% a year for banks, effective 1 June 2026. That is a ceiling, not the rate you will be offered. We found no recent published average rate for home loans in Togo: ask at least two banks for a written offer showing the total cost of credit, insurance and arrangement fees included.

Property tax

An owner living in their only home is exempt. According to an OTR reminder reported by Bénin Web TV (accessed 12 October 2026), since 1 January 2024 the exemption from the tax on built property applies only to a single main residence. For other buildings, the tax is 15% of net cadastral income, meaning the annual rental value reduced by 50%. A home bought to be rented out therefore carries this charge.

How to decide: the method

Compare two totals over the period you expect to stay, not two monthly payments.

1. Cost of renting: cumulative rent over the period, plus any upfront sums that will not be returned to you.
2. Cost of buying: duties and fees, loan interest and insurance, maintenance, property tax where it applies, minus a resale value you consider prudent.
3. Length of stay: purchase costs are paid once. The longer you stay, the more they are spread out. If you may be transferred or leave soon, renting keeps the edge.
4. Status of the property: without a land title, add the cost and delay of registration, and the risk of a dispute. If the notary raises a reservation, rent and keep looking.

We found no official statistics on yearly property price changes in Togo. Do not base your calculation on a rise promised by a seller.

On Imonga

To fill in the renting column, note the rents of apartments for rent in Lomé and villas for rent in Lomé. For the buying column, compare houses for sale in Lomé and land for sale in Lomé, then put them in context with the Lomé property prices page. In each listing, check the stated land status before you travel to a viewing.

Frequently asked questions

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

Three months of rent at most for the deposit, and three months at most for the rent guarantee, in Greater Lomé. That is the cap in Decree No. 2022-001/PR of 5 January 2022, as presented by the Ministry of Urban Planning. Have every sum written into the lease. If you disagree with the landlord, a lawyer or a notary can tell you how to rely on the text.

Can you buy land without a land title in Togo?

The 2018 Land and State Property Code makes a sale conditional on prior registration of the property, according to Afrik.com's reading of articles 161 and 162. In practice, pay nothing until a notary has checked the status of the land and the identity of the seller. Our guide to land status in Togo describes the documents to request.

What is the rate for a home loan in Togo?

We found no recent published average rate. What is established: the BCEAO states, in its Notice No. 007-12-2025, a usury rate of 14.0% a year for banks since 1 June 2026. Ask several banks for a written offer with the total cost of credit, and compare that total rather than the headline rate alone.

Does an owner-occupier pay property tax?

Not on their single main residence, according to the OTR reminder reported by Bénin Web TV: the exemption has covered only that one building since 1 January 2024. A second home or a rented-out property is taxed. Have your own situation confirmed by the OTR or a tax adviser.

I live abroad: should I rent or buy remotely?

The question is the same, with one extra risk: you see neither the land nor the seller. Use a notary in Togo for every check and every payment, and demand the documents before sending funds. The rules described here apply to Togo only: they differ in neighbouring countries.

Sources

• Ministry of Urban Planning, Housing and Land Reform (Togo): Decree No. 2022-001/PR, three-month caps, written lease, registration, application to Greater Lomé. Accessed 12 October 2026.
• Ministry of Urban Planning: model residential lease: existence of the official model. Accessed 12 October 2026.
• Law No. 2018-005 of 14 June 2018, Land and State Property Code (FAOLEX): reference text. Accessed 12 October 2026.
• Afrik.com, 16 November 2018: reading of articles 161 and 162, role of the notary, share of land disputes. Accessed 12 October 2026.
• Office of Me Komi Tsakadi, notary: registration, subdivision and full transfer duties. Accessed 12 October 2026.
• BCEAO, Notice No. 007-12-2025: usury rate. Accessed 12 October 2026.
• Bénin Web TV: OTR reminder on property tax. Accessed 12 October 2026.