A Lagos businesswoman has gone viral after revealing how she lost two shop spaces despite spending millions of naira on renovations, reigniting concerns over landlord practices and tenancy rights in Lagos.
Business owner recounts losses in viral video
In a widely shared video, the entrepreneur detailed how she invested heavily in upgrading a rented property only to receive a sudden notice to vacate. "This is how I lost everything. I am so tired. Lagos landlords will humble you. It's from spending millions of Naira to renovate a space and landlords always trying to oppress you or evict you," she said.
According to her, the owner of the first property claimed she needed the building for personal use, but later rented it to another tenant operating a similar business. "This was my previous place. They gave us a quit notice. She claimed she wanted to use it for her personal use just to rent it to somebody else. I was doing the same business."
Second eviction after downsizing
The entrepreneur explained that after the setback, she downsized and moved into a smaller location to recover financially. However, she was again served a notice to leave after the landlord reportedly announced plans to demolish the building. "Then we had to downsize to a smaller space, try to recover from the losses and everything. We're thinking we're going to be able to manage this for a while and back to square one, the landlord said he wanted to demolish it, to pack out, and gave us quit notice."
Expressing exhaustion, she added: "At this point, I'm tired. Business is not for the weak. I just want to rest. I am tired. I am hurt. Jesus."
Public reactions and calls for accountability
The video attracted widespread sympathy. One commenter wrote, "I've always said this, it is wrong to invest in Lagos properties, they can take it away any day." Another said, "How about we start holding landlords accountable? And we start taking paperwork seriously?"
Others stressed the importance of legal agreements before renovating rented properties. "It's important to have legal contracts that bind whatever kind of partnership you want to undertake with anyone in case of fallouts like this," a user commented. Another added, "I also blame most tenants, they don't seek the consent of a lawyer before venturing into a transaction like this. Draft an agreement before renovating and impose a clause that the landlord should allow you to stay there for a certain number of years before he can increase the rent or send you away."
Context of rising rents and proposed reforms
The incident comes amid growing concerns over rising rents and landlord practices in Lagos. Recently, entrepreneur and actress Lilian Esoro revealed that one of her businesses received another rent increment notice, pushing the annual rent to ₦50 million. There have also been reports of sharp rent increases in high-end areas, including claims that rent on a property in Banana Island increased by more than 390 percent.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government is proposing a new tenancy law aimed at addressing excessive rent hikes, illegal charges, and other exploitative practices. During the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, the Lagos State Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, said the bill is currently before the Lagos State House of Assembly. According to the commissioner, the proposed legislation seeks to tackle arbitrary rent increases, excessive agency fees, and fraudulent activities by unregistered estate agents.
Akinderu-Fatai disclosed that one of the major provisions would make registration with the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA) compulsory for all estate agents operating within the state. Operating without registration would become a punishable offence once the bill is passed into law. The proposed reforms are expected to bring greater accountability to Lagos' housing sector and offer stronger protection for tenants and business owners facing uncertainty in the rental market.
