How to Write a Tenancy Agreement in Nigeria (2026 Guide)

The honest cost picture

Lawyers in Nigeria typically charge ₦20,000 to ₦50,000 or more to draft one tenancy agreement, depending on the state and the property. That fee buys review and peace of mind — but not validity. A properly completed agreement is binding without a lawyer, and the standard clauses are well established.

The alternative: the DocOga Tenancy Agreement generator builds a complete, standard Nigerian agreement — rent, caution fee, covenants, notice periods, witnesses — in about two minutes, free, on your phone, for any state.

1. Is it valid without a lawyer?

Yes. Nigerian law does not require a lawyer to draft, sign or witness a tenancy agreement. What makes it binding:

• The right parties — full names and addresses of landlord and tenant (and the landlord's lawful attorney if acting for the owner).
• The right premises — a description precise enough that no one can argue about which house it covers.
• The deal terms — rent amount, payment schedule, duration, and when it starts.
• Signatures — both parties, ideally before one witness each.

Notarization is not required. Stamping is not what makes the agreement valid between the parties, though stamp duty can matter for court proceedings on some documents. This guide is general information, not legal advice — for a unusual or high-value tenancy, have a Nigerian lawyer review your draft.

2. The 10 clauses every Nigerian agreement needs

1. Parties. Full legal names, addresses and phone numbers of landlord and tenant. If an agent signs for the landlord, attach the authority.
2. Premises. The complete address and what is included — rooms, parking, generator, borehole, furnishings.
3. Term and commencement. The duration (a year is common) and the exact start date. State whether it renews automatically or requires a new agreement.
4. Rent. The amount in figures and words, due dates, and the payment account. In Lagos, the Tenancy Law 2011 (s.4) makes it an offence for a landlord to demand or receive more than one year's rent in advance from a yearly tenant, or more than six months from a monthly tenant.
5. Caution fee. A refundable security deposit — commonly 5–10% of rent — held against damage beyond normal wear and tear. State the amount, the refund deadline after the tenancy ends, and the inspection it depends on.
6. Utilities and service charges. Who pays electricity, water, waste, security dues and estate levies — and any annual review of service charges.
7. Repairs and covenants. Landlord maintains structure and roof; tenant keeps the interior clean and reports faults. List what the tenant may not do — subletting, alterations, illegal or commercial use where not agreed.
8. Notice to quit and recovery of premises. How much written notice each side gives to end or renew the tenancy. Where the agreement is silent, statutory minimums apply — and they differ by state and tenancy type (see the table below).
9. Inspection and inventory. A joint move-in/move-out inspection with photographs. This is what makes the caution fee refund peaceful instead of a quarrel.
10. Jurisdiction and execution. Which state's courts govern disputes, the number of copies signed, and who keeps the originals.

3. Notice periods: what the law says if your agreement is silent

Where the agreement doesn't fix a notice period, statutory minimums step in. Lagos (Tenancy Law 2011, s.13(1)) is the clearest example — and the same pattern of longer tenancy, longer notice runs across most states:

In the FCT, recovery of premises is governed by the Recovery of Premises Act — a landlord cannot use self-help (changing locks, throwing out property); possession flows through the courts (see s.8 for the recovery procedure). Some states have their own tenancy laws with different minimums and advance-rent caps. The practical rule: write the notice period you actually want into the agreement — courts generally uphold what both parties signed, and the statutory defaults apply only where there is no agreed term. In Lagos, heavy arrears can also cost the tenant the right to a quit notice at all (s.13(2)–(3)).

We maintain state-specific pages with the details that matter where you are:

Lagos Abuja (FCT) Rivers Oyo Kano Enugu

4. The caution fee, done properly

• Cap it in writing — 5–10% of annual rent is the common range; don't leave it open-ended.
• Receipt it — issue a proper caution fee receipt the day it is paid. An unreceipted deposit is the classic origin of a refund quarrel.
• Set the refund deadline — e.g. refund within 14 days of a satisfactory move-out inspection.
• Photograph everything at move-in — both parties, same day, timestamped.

5. Five mistakes that cost Nigerians money

1. Handing over rent before the agreement is signed. Money first, paper later is how disputes start. Sign, then pay, then receipt.
2. No rent receipt. Every payment should get a dated rent receipt — in a dispute, receipts beat arguments.
3. Copying a foreign template. Formats from the UK or US miss Nigerian essentials: caution fee, advance-rent caps, estate dues, statutory notice rules. Use a Nigerian draft.
4. Leaving the notice clause vague. "As agreed by both parties" is not a notice period. Name the number of months.
5. Skipping the inspection. Without a joint move-in record, the caution fee refund becomes opinion against opinion.

6. The fastest way to do it: the free generator

DocOga asks plain questions — names, address, rent, duration, caution fee, notice — and produces a complete standard Nigerian tenancy agreement with all ten clauses above, ready to print or save as PDF. Free to generate, no signup, works on your phone, and every state's details are handled.

Then keep the paper trail complete:

Rent receipt Caution fee receipt Notice to quit Remove watermarks — ₦2,000 / 30 days

Frequently asked questions