17 questions to ask before you sign a tenancy agreement

Most Nigerian tenants walk into an inspection, nod at the paint job, ask what the rent is, and go home. Two months later they discover the borehole only runs for three hours a day, the service charge excludes diesel, and the compound has a 9pm gate curfew nobody mentioned. By then the money is gone and the lease is signed.

I learned this the expensive way in 2023. My Lekki flat looked beautiful on the day I viewed it. Three weeks in I found out the PHCN account was on Band C (six hours a day), the generator was communal and rationed, and the caretaker expected a ₦20,000 "appreciation" every December. None of that was on the listing and I never asked.

This is the list I wish I had on me that day. Seventeen questions, grouped into five categories, with the exact wording I now use and what a good answer sounds like. If you ask even ten of these before signing, you'll avoid the majority of the surprises that cost tenants money and sleep.

Before you go into a viewing, print this list or save it in your Notes app. Ask the caretaker or landlord directly. If they get cagey on any of them, treat that as information.

Utilities: the five questions that predict your monthly bill

Utility costs in Nigeria are the invisible part of rent. The listing price is the rent. The real cost-of-living number is rent plus power plus water plus diesel. You need to know all four before you sign.

1. What is the PHCN band for this property?

Every metered property in Nigeria is on a band from A to E. Band A properties get 20-24 hours of grid power and pay the highest per-kWh tariff (around ₦209/kWh as of April 2026). Band C properties get about 8 hours and pay roughly ₦63/kWh. Sounds like Band C is cheaper — it isn't, because you'll burn diesel or petrol for the other 16 hours.

What a good answer sounds like: "We're on Band B, prepaid meter, averages 16 hours a day." What a bad answer sounds like: "Light is good here, don't worry." Press for the band letter. If the landlord doesn't know, ask to see the last PHCN bill or meter recharge receipt.

2. What is the water source, and is it metered?

Options in Nigeria: public mains (rare, mostly Lagos Island and parts of Abuja), private borehole, water tanker delivery, or a mix. Boreholes run on pumps; pumps run on PHCN or diesel. If PHCN is off and the tank is empty, you have no water.

Ask: "How many hours a day does the borehole run? When was it last serviced? Who pays when the pump breaks?" On a good compound the pump runs twice daily, the tank holds 24+ hours of supply, and the service charge covers repairs.