Real estate in Lagos

Areas and projects listed on this page

Most properties here are new-build projects: a developer's scheme with a name, an area and a status (under construction, selling, sold out) shown on its own page. They are spread across these areas:

• Lekki Phase 1 and Ikate: Camberwall Advantage 3, 4 and 5 Annex (Veritasi Homes).
• Victoria Garden City (Sugarland Estate) and Lakowe: Carmen’s Creek and Nathan’s Bay (Terra Developers Limited).
• Ajah and Sangotedo: Novena Estate Phase 2 and Villa Nova Bungalows (Our Estates), plus two commercial schemes, Ajah Market Hub and Gidi Mall 2.0 (Gidi Real Estate Investment Limited).
• Ibeju-Lekki: Itunu Hills land subdivision (Veritasi Homes) and Pathfinder Bungalows (Landgate Investments Limited).
• Ikoyi and Banana Island: Bella Vista Banana Island (Ash Properties) and Tinuola Towers (Veritasi Homes).
• Other areas: Leeds 2 Prime Apartments in Surulere (Flinx Realty Limited), Honey Pack Estate land subdivision in Imota, Ikorodu side (ADEFIZ Nigeria Limited), and Metro City Garden in Itoikin, Epe (Our Estates), shown as sold out.

A published project is not a verified title. When buying off-plan in Lagos, the contract with the developer and Nigerian law decide what you are protected against, so have both read by a lawyer before paying.

Buying: what the Land Use Act requires

In Nigeria, the Land Use Act 1978 vests all land in each State in its Governor (section 1). You do not buy the land itself but a right of occupancy, evidenced by a certificate of occupancy, the "C of O" (section 9). Section 22 forbids assigning, mortgaging or subleasing that right without the Governor's prior consent, and section 26 makes any transaction outside the Act null and void.

For Lagos, a May 2026 guide by Resolution Law Firm sets out the checks:

1. a search at the Lagos State Lands Registry using the title number, survey plan, or block and plot details: a photocopy proves nothing;
2. charting the survey plan at the Office of the Surveyor-General of Lagos State, which shows whether the land falls under government acquisition, a road alignment or a drainage channel;
3. on-the-ground enquiries into family disputes, earlier sales, boundary conflicts and omo-onile demands.

The guide warns that land under committed government acquisition may not be safe to buy. Illegal occupation and forcible takeovers fall under a task force set up by the Lagos State Properties Protection Law 2016. Have a lawyer called to the Nigerian bar run the searches, draft the deed of assignment and apply for the Governor's Consent.

Renting: the Tenancy Law 2011 and its exceptions

Section 4 of the Tenancy Law of Lagos State 2011 bars a landlord or agent from demanding more than one year's rent in advance from a new tenant. For a sitting tenant, the cap is six months for a monthly tenancy and one year for a yearly tenancy. Paying or receiving more is an offence for both sides, punishable by a fine of 100,000 naira or three months' imprisonment.

The law does not cover the whole city. According to an August 2022 analysis by Moroom Africa Legal Consults, it does not apply to Apapa, Ikeja GRA, Ikoyi and Victoria Island, so it does not cover several projects listed in Ikoyi. The same analysis notes that, unless agreed otherwise, a monthly tenancy ends with one month's notice (section 13). The landlord must then serve a seven-day notice, and eviction requires a court order.

According to S.P.A. Ajibade & Co.'s overview of the LASRERA Law 2022, every estate agent operating in Lagos must be registered with the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority and hold a permit. Ask to see the permit before paying any agency fee, and get a receipt for every payment.

A reform under debate, not yet in force

A tenancy bill passed second reading at the Lagos State House of Assembly on 10 July 2025 and went to the Committee on Housing. According to Premium Times (30 November 2025), it would cap agency fees at 5% of annual rent and limit advance rent for sitting monthly tenants to three months, but it was still a draft. We found no official source reporting its passage at the time of writing, so have a lawyer confirm the law in force on the day you sign. For comparison with nearby markets, see property in Accra and property in Cotonou.