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Lagos State Tenancy Law (2011) Pt.5

Written by: ESTATE BOOKS | AUG 23 2023 | Views 571 | << back

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36. Where the claim is based on documentary evidence and the defendant does not file a defence or appear at the trial and does not defend the claim, the Magistrate shall be entitled to adjudicate upon the claim in Chambers but shall give judgment in open Court.


37.-(1)Subject to any agreement to the contrary, an existing tenant may apply as in form TL 11 to the Court for an Order declaring that the increase in rent payable under a tenancy agreement is unreasonable.
      (2) In determining whether an increase in the rent is unreasonable, the Court shall issue hearing notice as in form TL 12 to the Landlord and shall consider the application on the following grounds –
(a) the general level of rents in the locality or a similar locality for comparative analysis;
(b) evidence of witnesses of the parties ;and
(c) any special circumstances relating to the premises in question or any other relevant matter.
      (3) If satisfied that the increase in the rent is unreasonable, the Court may order as in form TL13 that the increase in the rent be changed to a specific amount.
      (4) Notwithstanding the provisions of any Law, it shall be unlawful for a landlord to eject a tenant from any premises pending the determination of the action.


38. Any judgment by default under this Law shall be final and remain valid and may only be set aside upon application to the Magistrate on grounds of fraud, non-service, lack of jurisdiction or upon such terms as the Court may deem fit.


39. Where a landlord is entitled to possession of any premises, the Court may issue a warrant for possession, notwithstanding that the counterclaim is undetermined or unsatisfied.


40. A warrant for possession shall entitle the landlord to be put in possession of the premises to which the warrant relates and the certificate of warrant execution shall be as in Form TL 10.


41. Notwithstanding any provision in any other Law, every warrant for possession shall bear the date after the day mentioned in the Order for possession of the premises in question and shall be in force for three (3) months from
such date: Provided that a Warrant may be renewed every three months but shall not exceed three (3) renewals.


42. Any warrant to give possession of the premises to the person named in the warrant or to whom it may be directed, shall justify entry to him with such assistance as he deems necessary and be given possession of the premises. Provided that no entry upon such warrant shall be made on a Sunday or public holiday.


43. At the expiration of the time ordered by the Court, if an Order of possession of the Court is not obeyed, the Court at the instance of the landlord shall where such Order can be proved to have been served on the tenant, issue a warrant for possession, and if the Order is that possession of the premises be given up by the tenant to the landlord, the Court shall immediately at the instance and at the cost of the landlord, issue a warrant for possession to the landlord.


44.-(1) Subject to the provisions of any Law-
(a) Any person who demolishes, alters or modifies a b4i1ding to which this law applies with a view to
ejecting a tenant and without the approval of the Court; or
(b) any person who in respect of any premises-
(i) attempts to forcibly eject or forcibly ejects a tenant;
(ii) threatens or molests a tenant by action or words, with a view to ejecting such tenant;
or
(iii) willfully damages any premises, shall be guilty of an offence and is liable to a fine not exceeding Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N250,000.00) or a maximum of six (6) months imprisonment and any other non-custodial disposition.
        (2) A Court shall have power to punish for contempt in the face of the Court but may in other cases Order the arrest and bring before it, any person suspected of having committed contempt of Court and such a person shall as soon as practicable be brought to trial before a Court of Law.
        (3) Following subsection (2) of this section, any person who-
(a) resists, molests, assaults, or in any way obstructs any officer of the Court or any other person from carrying out an Order of the Court to serve any process or execute a warrant for possession; Or
(b) has been put out of possession, by virtue of a warrant for possession, and unlawfully retakes possession of the premises after possession has been given to the landlord shall be charged with contempt and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N250,000.00) or a maximum of six (6) months imprisonment and any other non-custodial disposition.
       (4)(a)Any landlord who obtains an Order for possession of any premises under this Law by intentionally providing false information shall be guilty of an offence and liable under the Criminal Code.
(b) Any tenant who deprives the landlord of any premises under this Law by intentionally providing false information shall be guilty of an offence and liable under the Criminal Code.
(c) Without prejudice to any criminal proceeding, where-
(i) any landlord has obtained an Order of possession of premises under this Law and upon an application made by summons by the tenant, the Court is satisfied that such Order was obtained by intentionally providing false information; the Court shall order the landlord to pay reasonable compensation to such
tenant; and
(ii) the tenant has deprived the landlord of possession of premises under this Law and upon an application made by summons by the landlord, the Court is satisfied that the landlord was so deprived by the tenant intentionally providing false information; the court shall order the tenant to pay reasonable compensation to such landlord.


45.-(1) A party to any proceedings in the Magistrates' Court may appeal from the decisions of the Magistrates' Court to the High Court in accordance with the provisions of the Magistrates' Court Law.
(2) A party to any proceedings in the High Court may appeal in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.


46. The Chief Judge may, as required, make regulations for the procedure through which matters relating to the conduct of proceedings shall be carried out.


47. In this Law, unless the context otherwise requires- "Agent" means any person usually employed by the landlord in the letting or leasing of the premises or in the collecting of the rents, or a person Specially authorised to act in a particular manner by writing under the hand of the landlord; "Business Premises" except where it is expressly stated otherwise by this Law, includes premises used wholly or in part for non-residential purposes, such as, places let out for business, shops, offices, shopping malls, sporting facilities, events centres, lodgings. gaming houses, clubs and club houses, religious worship, institutions and voluntary services structures amongst others; “Commissioner” means commissioner for justice, Lagos state;
"Common Area" means any part of the premises the use of which is jointly shared by tenants or by a landlord and one or more tenants; "Court" means the High Court and Magistrates' Court of Lagos State but specifically excludes the Customary Court; “Current Rent” means the subsisting rent;
“ Functions” includes powers and duties; "Interested Person" includes any person claiming through the landlord or the tenant or who has an interest in the proceedings; "Landlord" in relation to any premises means the person entitled to the immediate reversion of the premises or if the property is held injoint tenancy or tenancy in common, any of the persons entitled to the immediate reversion and includes –
(a) the attorney, solicitor, agent or caretaker of any such landlord;
(b) any person receiving (whether in his own right or as an attorney or agent) any rent from any person for the
occupation of any premises in respect of which he claims a right to receive the same; or
(c) a former landlord where the context so requires; "Licensee" means a person who comes into occupation by mere permission, without the creation of a landlord and tenant relationship and has no estate or legal interest in the premises; "Mesne Profit” mean the rents and profits which a tenant holds over during his occupation of the premises and which he is liable to pay as compensation to the person entitled to possession; "Persons in unlawful occupation" means any person or corporate body who:
(a) enters into occupation through the tenant or remains in any residential or business premises without the
consent of the landlord; or
(b) enters into or remains in occupation of the premises after an order for possession against a tenant
without the consent of the landlord;
"Premises" except where it is expressly stated otherwise by this Law, includes premises used for business, residential
and non-residential purposes; "Prescribed" means prescribed by this Law or Schedule or tules or regulations or orders;
"Proceedings" includes any proceedings instituted in court in respect of this law; "Rents" includes any consideration or money paid or agreed to be paid or value or a right given or agreed to be given or part of any crop rendered or any equivalent given in kind or in labour, in consideration of which a landlord has permitted any person to use and occupy any land, premises, or other corporeal hereditament, and the use of common areas but does not include any charge for services or facilities provided in addition for the occupation of the premises:
"Rules" means the rules for the time being in force relating to the practice and procedure of the Courts in the exercise
of their respective civil jurisdiction made under the law by which such Courts were established or any law amending
same; "Services or Facilities" include any of the following that are provided or agreed to be provided by the landlord to the tenant of premises: appliances and furnishings, cleaning and maintenance services, parking spaces, cable, television
and dish services, laundry services, storage facilities, elevator services, common recreational facilities, intercom
systems and security surveillance, housekeeping facilities, security services and waste removal services; "Sitting Tenant" means a tenant in lawful occupation after the expiration of the first tenancy term according to the provisions of this Law and includes a tenant renewing an existing tenancy following an expired term of years; “State” means Lagos state. "Substantial Repair" means any work required to remedy anything which threatens the structure or renders the premises inhabitable, creates an intolerable nuisance or could be construed as a breach of the landlord's covenant in the head- lease; "Sub-tenant" means a person who occupies a premises or a portion of the premises previously occupied by a tenant which has been sublet to the sub-tenant by virtue of the written consent of the landlord; "Tenant" includes a sub-tenant or any person occupying any premises whether by payment of rent howsoever or by operation of law and not persons unlawfully occupying any premises under a bona fide claim to be the owner;
"Tenancy" means holding of interest in land or property by a tenant under a tenancy agreement: "Tenancy agreement" means an agreement whether written or oral, express or implied between a landlord and a tenant regarding possession of premises and use of common areas and includes leases and sub-leases.


48. The Rent Tribunals (Abolition and Transfer of Functions) Law 2007 is repealed.


49. This Law may be cited as the Tenancy Law and shall come into force on 24th day of August 20

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