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A member of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Hon. Akus Lawal, has introduced a bill seeking to repeal the state’s 2007 Rent Control and Recovery of Residential Premises Law and replace it with a more robust framework titled the Kogi State Tenancy Law, 2025.
Presented on Wednesday, May 7, the proposed law aims to overhaul the state’s rental regulations by introducing digital solutions, stricter penalties, and clearer definitions of landlord-tenant relationships.
“The bill contains inherent checks and balances to confine parties in a tenancy agreement to the scope of their legal rights and obligations,” Lawal said.
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Lawal, who chairs the House Committee on Finance and Economic Planning, stressed that the existing law is outdated and fails to address present-day housing and tenancy challenges.
The new bill proposes the creation of a Rent Control Board and Task Force empowered to fix rent ceilings and enforce compliance.
Among the sweeping reforms are mandates for landlords to register properties, maintain rent books, and submit tenant information for security purposes.
The bill also criminalises rent racketeering, unlawful eviction, impersonation by fake landlords, and bribery involving board officials.
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Key provisions include a cap on advance rent—landlords and agents may not collect more than 12 months’ rent upfront.
Additionally, all property agents must be registered and cannot charge more than 5% of the rent as agency fees.
Importantly, landlords earning over ₦3 million annually from rent will be required to pay a rent tax. The bill also makes it mandatory to first report tenancy disputes to the Rent Control Board before approaching the courts or involving police, except in criminal cases.
“The law is designed to ensure peaceful coexistence, transparency, and fairness in the state’s housing sector,” Lawal emphasised.