Buying Guide
What service charge in Lagos actually covers, and what it should not
Two listings at the same price can cost very different amounts to live in
Every figure below is illustrative. service charge moves with the market, so treat these as a way to frame the question rather than a quote.
What the numbers actually cover
Service charge, agency fees and legal costs are quoted separately more often than not, which makes two listings at the same headline price behave very differently once you have signed.
The important distinction is between recurring costs and one off costs. Some agents will quietly roll the second into the first, and a line item marked misc is worth always querying.
Ask for the last twelve months of actual spend, not the budget. A budget is a plan. Spend is what happened.
A worked comparison
Line | Quoted | Actual |
|---|---|---|
Security | ₦180,000 | ₦204,000 |
Diesel | ₦420,000 | ₦655,000 |
Grounds | ₦90,000 | ₦90,000 |
Before you sign
Ask for twelve months of statements
Confirm who holds the sinking fund
Get the diesel reconciliation in writing
The clause to read twice
The Manager may revise the Service Charge at its discretion
upon thirty (30) days written notice to the Occupier.A revision clause with no cap and no arbitration route means the number you agreed is the number until somebody decides otherwise.
Further reading
The Lagos State tenancy law is worth reading in full: lagosstate.gov.ng. A link like this one is rejected by the renderer's allow-list rather than followed.