A caution fee is a refundable deposit held by the landlord against damage and unpaid bills, returned when you move out if the place is as you found it. It is not rent and it is not the agent's commission. On Flatmate, across the 19 listings that record one, the middle caution fee is ₦50,000. Whether it actually comes back depends almost entirely on whether you can show the condition you moved into, which is why a dated photo record on day one matters more than the wording of any clause.
What it is, and what it is not
- Caution fee
- Refundable. Held against damage and unpaid bills, returned at the end of the tenancy.
- Agent fee
- Not refundable. Commission for finding you the place.
- Agreement or legal fee
- Not refundable. Payment for preparing the tenancy agreement.
- Service charge
- Not refundable. Covers shared costs such as security, waste and common-area power for the period it is charged.
Why it so often is not returned
The usual reason is not dishonesty, it is the absence of evidence. Nobody recorded what the place looked like on the day you moved in, so at the end there is no way to separate what you damaged from what was already there, and the deduction becomes whatever the landlord says it is.
The second reason is unpaid bills. Electricity, waste and service charge arrears come out of the caution fee first, and in a shared flat those are often somebody else's arrears that you are now funding.
The third is that in a share, nobody wrote down who contributed what. When one person leaves mid tenancy and the deposit is still with the landlord, the argument is between flatmates rather than with the landlord.
The record that gets it back
- Photograph everything on day one
- Every room, every existing mark, the meter readings, the state of the fittings. Dated photos, sent to the landlord or agent the same day so the record is shared rather than just yours.
- Get the amount and the terms in writing
- What the caution fee is, what it can be deducted for, and when it is returned after you leave.
- Clear the bills before you go
- Settle electricity, waste and service charge and keep the receipts. Unpaid bills are the most common deduction.
- In a share, record who paid what
- A single note listing each person's contribution to the deposit, agreed at the start, settles the argument that otherwise happens at the end.
- Do a walk-through together
- Hand the keys over in person where you can, with the landlord present, and compare against the day-one photos there and then.
Questions people ask
Is caution fee refundable in Nigeria?
Yes, in principle. It is a deposit held against damage and unpaid bills, and it should be returned when you leave the place as you found it. In practice it is returned when you can show the condition you moved into, so photograph everything on day one.
How much is caution fee in Nigeria?
It varies widely, and is often quoted as 10% of the rent or a flat sum. Across the 19 Flatmate listings that record one, the middle figure is ₦50,000.
What can a landlord deduct from a caution fee?
Damage beyond fair wear and tear, and unpaid bills such as electricity, waste or service charge. Normal ageing of the property is not damage, though that line is exactly where disputes sit.
What is the difference between caution fee and agent fee?
The caution fee is a refundable deposit you should get back. The agent fee is the agent's commission for finding you the place and you never get it back. They are separate charges and both are usually quoted on top of the rent.
How do we handle the caution fee when sharing?
Write down who contributed what at the start and what happens if one person leaves early. The deposit stays with the landlord until the tenancy ends, so without that note the person leaving mid tenancy and the people staying have no agreed basis for settling up.
Where to go next
Other things worth knowing before you pay
Measured listing figures update automatically from active Flatmate listings; worked examples are labelled separately. General information, not legal advice; tenancy rules differ by state.