What documents does a landlord in Nigeria need for a tenancy?
Short answer
A tenancy agreement signed before the tenant moves in, a receipt for every payment, and a written notice whenever something changes: a rent increase, a breach, or the end of the tenancy. Keep each one dated and filed against the tenancy, because that paper trail is what you rely on if a dispute reaches court. Ledge fills these documents in from the tenancy record, but you set the dates: it does not work out notice periods.
The method
Getting the paperwork right
Sign the agreement before the keys
Parties, premises, rent, how often it is paid, deposit, and what each side is responsible for. Both sign and both keep a copy.
Receipt every payment
Including the first year's rent and the caution deposit, each on its own line.
Put every change in writing
A rent increase, a breach or the end of the tenancy goes in a dated written notice, not a phone call.
Get the notice period from the law, not a template
How much notice you must give depends on the type of tenancy and your state's law. Confirm it with a lawyer before you serve.
Record how and when you served it
By hand, by post or electronically, and on what date. Proof of service matters as much as the notice.
| Document | When you need it |
|---|---|
| Tenancy agreement | Before the tenant moves in |
| Rent receipt | Every time rent or a deposit is paid |
| Notice of rent review | Before a rent increase takes effect |
| Notice to remedy breach | When the tenant breaks a term that can be put right |
| Notice to quit | When you want the tenancy to end |
| Notice of owner's intention to recover possession | In Lagos practice, after a notice to quit expires and the tenant stays |
With Ledge
What Ledge does, and what it leaves to you
Ledge does
- Drafts the tenancy agreement as a PDF with landlord, tenant, premises, dates, rent and deposit filled in, from a clause template you can edit (Starter and up).
- Prepares notices from the tenancy record: lease end, periodic tenancy notice, notice of rent review, notice to remedy breach and the 7-day notice to recover premises.
- Sends a notice as a PDF by email or a WhatsApp link, and records how and when it was served, with proof.
- For a rent review, works out the new rent from a flat or percentage increase, and lets the tenant accept or reject it in their portal.
- Issues receipts for every payment in full.
You still
- Set the dates on every notice. Ledge does not calculate statutory notice periods, so confirm the right period with a lawyer.
- Decide whether email or WhatsApp counts as proper service for your tenancy. That depends on the agreement and the law.
- Switch tenancy notices on in settings. They are off until you do.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
- Does Ledge work out how much notice I have to give?
- No. You enter the dates on every notice yourself. The right notice period depends on the type of tenancy and your state's law, so confirm it with a lawyer.
- Can I send a notice by WhatsApp or email?
- Ledge can send a notice by email or a WhatsApp link and record how it was served. Whether that counts as proper service depends on your tenancy agreement and state law, so check before you rely on it.
- Can the tenant see the notice?
- Yes. Notices appear in the tenant's portal, and a tenant can accept or reject a rent review there.
- Is there a free notice to quit template?
- Yes. Ledge's notice to quit generator puts the notice in the proper form as a PDF, with no account needed. You supply the dates.
More answers
- What software can a Nigerian landlord use to manage tenants and rent?For landlords
- How do I record rent and issue rent receipts in Nigeria?Rent receipts and records
- How do I keep track of which tenants owe rent?Tracking rent arrears
- How should a property manager report to landlords in Nigeria?Owner statements
- How do Nigerian estates collect service charge and levies?Estate service charge
- How do estate gate passes work without an app?Estate gate passes
Run your rentals on Ledge
Built in Lagos for Nigerian practice: naira pricing, rent paid yearly, quarterly or monthly, and Paystack for online payments.