ARTICLES

Procedure for Recovery of Residential Premises in Lagos State

In my earlier articles, I have described Tenancies, Leases, and the relationship between the Tenants/Lessees and Landlords/Lessors. In the Tenancy contract, the Landlord hands over exclusive possession of the property to the Tenant for an agreed period of time, in return for rental payment; at the expiration of the Tenancy period, exclusive possession of the property reverts to the Landlord.

However it must be noted that inasmuch the property reverts to the Landlord, there is still a laid down procedure for recovering this property from the Tenant. The Landlord may, not on his own, and without employing statutorily provided means, evict the Tenant from the property. Indeed it has been alleged by some quarters that the laws for recovery of premises tend to be more protective of the Tenant, than the Landlord; however it important to note that an eviction that is in compliance with the statutorily employed means will not prevent an employer from repossessing his property.