Different kinds of apartments in Lagos, Nigeria

In this article I am making use of the naira represented by N which is 150 to one US dollar. If you are looking for apartments to rent in Lagos Nigeria and live outside the country, take note.

In Lagos, Nigeria, apartments come in various sizes, shapes, and prices. Depending on the location and the quality of the construction materials, these apartments have different rates ranging from less than N100,000 per year to more than N5,000,000 per year.

List of apartments in houses of Lagos, Nigeria;

1. Face me, I face you

These are apartments for the common man. The low-income and the most repressed of the social strata. It refers to apartments located in single or multi-story houses with each room parallel to another room on either side of an island, hence the name. The rooms are rented separately to each occupant and there is usually a common toilet, kitchen and bathroom for the occupants per floor. The key benefit of these types of apartments is affordability, while there is often a lack of privacy as co-tenants may violate one’s privacy from time to time. Rents are charged monthly for existing tenants, while new tenants pay one-time rents for two to three years in advance. From time to time one gets to occupy more than one of these rooms at a time if the price is right. These types of apartments are very common in the suburbs and slums of Lagos, Nigeria.

2. Independent (one-bedroom apartment)

A self-contained apartment is suitable for people who are just starting a career or a family or who do not have the resources to rent a suitable apartment. Most of the occupants of these types of apartments are young singles, usually in their 20s and 30s, who are simply looking to raise enough money to move to bigger apartments when the time is right. Self-contained apartments are also found primarily in the suburbs, but many of them are also located in commercial areas of the city. Rents are paid annually for all tenants, but new tenants must pay 2-3 years in advance.

3. Floors (apartments from 2 to 5 rooms on one floor)

Apartments are common with families in the middle class or higher incomes, but with single men and women who appreciate their privacy and also want the recognition associated with being independent and above the poverty line. However, that is not to say that all flat tenants are financially independent, but it is kind of a status symbol to live in an exquisite flat, especially in a high bow area like Ikoyi, Lekki, Illupeju, Apapa, parts of Ikeja, Magodo and a host of other isolated farms in Lagos. The rents on most of these apartments are out of reach for the common man, however the apartments are located in all parts of Lagos including the slums and ghettos and of course their rates depend on their location and proximity to the island. Flats in places like Ikeja, Yaba, Surulere and Ebutemetta are much more expensive than those in the interior or the suburbs. Rents are also collected annually and new tenants pay 2-3 years in advance.

4. Cabins

These are single storey houses with 3 or more rooms and separate toilet(s) and bathroom with kitchen. Bungalows are typically purchased by small, middle-class families who no longer want to pay rent or run afoul of harassing landlords and value their privacy above other inconveniences of home ownership.

5. Duplex

These are one-story buildings consisting of 4 or more rooms with two or more toilets and bathrooms and kitchen. Duplexes are of two types; semi-detached or double maisonettes and single wing maisonettes. Attached maisonettes are typically 2 or more maisonettes built together but in separate wings as part of a single dwelling unit. Duplexes can be rented or owner-occupied and rents are collected annually. They are apartments exclusively for the upper class or the upper middle class. The duplexes usually have four buoys that are mini-bungalows.

6. Luxury apartments

All apartments listed above except the first group can come tastefully furnished. These are luxury apartments and are always located in the intellectual parts of the city. Rents range from as little as N4,500,000 to N15,000,000 (around $30,000 to over $100,000 a year).