How to write and serve a notice to quit in Nigeria
A notice to quit is the written notice that ends a tenancy. If it is late, unclear or badly served, a court can throw it out and you start again months later. Getting it right the first time saves you a whole rent cycle.
Not legal advice. Tenancy law is set by each state. This guide uses the Lagos State Tenancy Law 2011 as the reference point. Have a lawyer check your notice before you serve it, especially if you expect the tenant to resist.
When you need a notice to quit
You need one to end a periodic tenancy: a tenancy that rolls on from week to week, month to month or year to year until someone ends it. Most Nigerian tenancies that started with “one year’s rent” and simply carried on become yearly periodic tenancies.
A fixed-term tenancy, for example one that says it runs from 1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027, ends on its own date. Under the Lagos law no notice to quit is generally needed for it, but you still serve the seven-day notice of your intention to recover possession (see below) if the tenant stays on.
How much notice to give
If the tenancy agreement sets a notice period, that usually applies. If it says nothing, the Lagos law sets these minimums:
| Tenancy type | Minimum notice to quit |
|---|---|
| Tenancy at will | One week |
| Weekly | One week |
| Monthly | One month |
| Quarterly | Three months |
| Half-yearly | Three months |
| Yearly | Six months |
These are minimums. Giving more notice than required is safe; giving less makes the notice defective. Count the days carefully and leave a margin for delivery.
What the notice should say
- Your name as landlord, or your agent’s name with the words “for and on behalf of” the landlord.
- The tenant’s full name as it appears on the tenancy agreement.
- The full address of the property, including flat or unit number.
- The type of tenancy (for example, yearly).
- A clear instruction to give up possession, and the date by which the tenant must do so.
- The date of the notice and your signature, or your agent’s or lawyer’s.
Keep it plain. A notice that mixes in threats, rent demands or complaints is easier to challenge. If rent is also owed, deal with it in a separate letter.
A simple notice to quit (yearly tenancy)
To: [Tenant’s full name]
Of: [Full property address]
I, [Landlord’s full name], your landlord, hereby give you notice to quit and deliver up possession of the [flat/house/shop] known as [address], which you hold of me as a yearly tenant, on or before [date at least six months after service], or at the end of the year of your tenancy which will expire next after the end of six months from the service of this notice.
Dated this [day] of [month] [year].
Signed: ____________________
[Landlord, or solicitor/agent for and on behalf of the landlord]
The second half of that sentence, “or at the end of the year of your tenancy which will expire next”, is a common safety net in case the first date you named turns out to be wrong. Your lawyer may prefer different wording.
Serving the notice
A notice only counts once the tenant has received it in a way you can prove. The usual methods are:
- By hand to the tenant, ideally with a witness, and ask the tenant to sign and date a copy as received.
- By leaving it at the property with an adult who lives there, or pasting it on the door if no one will accept it. Note the date and time and take a photo.
- By registered post or courier to the property, keeping the receipt.
Whoever serves it should be ready to sign a short statement saying how and when they did. Keep a copy of the notice and the proof of service together with your tenancy records.
After the notice expires
If the tenant has not left when the notice to quit runs out, the next step is a seven-day notice of the owner’s intention to recover possession. If they are still there after those seven days, you apply to court. Only a court order, carried out by court officials, can remove a tenant.
Do not change locks, remove doors or windows, cut off water or electricity, or throw out a tenant’s belongings. Self-help eviction is unlawful and can leave you facing criminal charges and paying damages, even when the tenant owes rent.
Common mistakes that void a notice
- Giving less than the required period, often by counting from the wrong date.
- Naming the wrong tenant, for example the husband when the agreement is in the wife’s name.
- Describing the tenancy wrongly (calling a yearly tenancy monthly).
- No proof of when and how it was served.
- Combining the notice to quit and the seven-day notice in one document.
Plan it from the renewal date
For a yearly tenancy, the six-month deadline arrives sooner than most landlords expect. Landlord Reminder tracks each renewal date and reminds you three months, one month and seven days ahead. For notice planning, set the renewal date and check the six-month point when you add the tenancy. Our renewal timeline guide walks through the whole year.