Nigeria's House of Representatives moves to cap Abuja advance rent at 12 months
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A bill given first reading in the House of Representatives would bar landlords and agents in the Federal Capital Territory from compelling tenants to pay more than a year's rent upfront, and would create a dedicated tenancy regulator.
The House of Representatives on Thursday passed for first reading a bill seeking to regulate advance rent payments and prohibit landlords in the Federal Capital Territory from compulsorily demanding more than one year's rent in advance. The Federal Capital Territory Advance Rent Regulation and Tenants' Protection Bill, 2026 (HB.2839) is sponsored by Paul Nnamchi (APC, Enugu), with Ahmed Doro (PDP, Katsina) as co-sponsor.
The proposed law states that a landlord, estate agent, property manager or anyone acting on behalf of a landlord must not demand, receive or compel a tenant to pay more than 12 months' rent in advance as a condition for granting, renewing or continuing a tenancy. It would apply to both residential and commercial tenancies in the FCT.
It also targets workarounds, barring additional charges, compulsory service charges, artificial renewal of tenancy agreements or other arrangements designed to force a tenant to pay more than a year's rent upfront. Tenants would still be allowed to pay more than 12 months voluntarily, but only where the offer is initiated by the tenant and is not imposed as a condition, and any such payment must be free of coercion, discrimination, threats or retaliation and documented in writing.
The bill proposes a Federal Capital Territory Rent Regulation and Tenants' Protection Authority to administer and enforce the law. The authority would receive and investigate complaints, monitor landlords, agents and property managers, issue compliance notices, facilitate mediation, order refunds of unlawful payments within 30 days, keep a public register of letting agents, and establish complaint offices and electronic reporting channels across the FCT, including satellite towns.
Penalties under the proposal range from a fine of between N500,000 and N5 million for an individual who knowingly demands or receives more than the permitted advance rent, to between N5 million and N20 million for a body corporate. A court could additionally order a refund, compensation for proven loss or payment of lawful costs.
The bill also seeks to prohibit unlawful eviction practices, including threats or violence, disconnection of essential services, removal or destruction of a tenant's property and changing locks without lawful authority, while preserving landlords' rights to recover rent lawfully due and to recover possession through due process. It follows persistent complaints about the cost of renting in Abuja, where tenants are routinely asked to raise one or two years' rent in advance.