The House of Representatives on Thursday handed for first studying a bill searching for to regulate advance rent funds and prohibit landlords in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from compulsorily demanding multiple yr’s rent in advance.
The Federal Capital Territory Advance Rent Regulation and Tenants’ Protection Bill, 2026 (HB.2839), sponsored by Paul Nnamchi (APC, Enugu), with Ahmed Doro (PDP, Katsina) as co-sponsor, additionally seeks to set up a regulatory authority to defend tenants and landlords from illegal rental practices.
The bill proposes that landlords, property brokers, property managers or anybody appearing on behalf of a landlord should not demand, obtain or compel a tenant to pay greater than 12 months’ rent in advance as a situation for granting, renewing or persevering with a tenancy.
It additionally seeks to forestall landlords and brokers from circumventing the proposed restriction by means of further prices, compulsory service prices, synthetic renewal of tenancy agreements or different preparations designed to pressure tenants to pay greater than a yr’s rent upfront.
The bill, a duplicate of which was obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, says the proposed regulation would apply to each residential and business tenancies in the FCT.
Under the proposed laws, tenants may voluntarily pay greater than 12 months’ rent in advance, however solely the place the supply is initiated by the tenant and isn’t imposed as a situation by the owner.
“A landlord, estate agent, property manager or other person acting on behalf of a landlord shall not demand, receive or compel a tenant to pay more than twelve months’ rent in advance as a condition…”
The bill additional requires that such funds be made with out coercion, discrimination, threats or retaliation and that the settlement be documented in writing.
Proposed FCT rent authority
The laws proposes the institution of the Federal Capital Territory Rent Regulation and Tenants’ Protection Authority to administer and implement the regulation.
The authority could be empowered to obtain and examine complaints, monitor landlords, property brokers and property managers, subject compliance notices, facilitate mediation and order refunds the place illegal rent funds have been made.
It would additionally keep a public register of letting brokers the place registration is required, set up criticism places of work and digital reporting channels throughout the FCT, together with satellite tv for pc cities, and publish periodic stories on rental practices and enforcement outcomes.
The proposed authority would additionally have the opportunity to order a landlord or agent to refund an illegal fee inside 30 days the place it determines that rent was obtained in violation of the regulation.
An individual who knowingly calls for or receives greater than the permitted advance rent may face a wonderful of between ₦500,000 and ₦5 million, whereas a physique company might be fined between ₦5 million and ₦20 million.
The courtroom may moreover order a refund, compensation for confirmed loss or fee of lawful prices.
The bill additionally seeks to prohibit illegal eviction practices, together with threats or violence, disconnection of important companies, removing or destruction of a tenant’s property, altering locks with out lawful authority and different types of self-help.
However, the proposed regulation preserves the rights of landlords to recuperate rent lawfully due and recuperate possession of their property by means of due course of.
Rising rents in Abuja
The proposed laws comes amid persistent considerations over the price of renting lodging in Abuja.
PREMIUM TIMES reported in July 2025 that residents throughout the FCT have been scuffling with rising rents and arbitrary will increase in rent, company charges, settlement charges and warning charges.
Residents disclosed that the rising value of lodging was forcing some individuals to depart their properties and neighbourhoods for cheaper areas, typically with poorer infrastructure and longer commuting distances.
The proposed bill is due to this fact concentrating on one of many main pressures confronting tenants: the requirement to increase massive sums directly earlier than securing or retaining lodging.
Meanwhile, in 2022, the same bill sponsored by a former senator for Kogi West, Smart Adeyemi, scaled second studying on the Senate.
The bill sought to regulate the mode of fee of rent in the FCT by reducing down advance fee of rent from one or two years by tenants to three months and subsequent month-to-month funds.
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The downside just isn’t peculiar to Abuja.
In Lagos, the place the price of lodging has additionally change into a serious concern, the state authorities launched the Lagos State Tenancy and Recovery of Premises Bill, 2025, which sought, amongst different issues, to restrict advance rent, regulate property brokers and supply mechanisms for tenants to problem unfair rent will increase.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Lagos proposal sought to forestall landlords from demanding multiple yr’s rent from new tenants, whereas sitting tenants on periodic fee preparations couldn’t be compelled to pay greater than three months in advance.
The Lagos proposal additionally sought to deal with extreme company charges, unlawful eviction ways and extended disputes between landlords and tenants.
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