Moving at the End of the Month in Lagos: Rent Expiry Weekends

The rent runs out on the 31st, the new landlord says keys are ready on the 1st, and half the street seems to be moving on the same Saturday. Month-end is when many Lagos tenancies change hands, so the last weekend is often when finding a truck is hardest and the roads near estates are most crowded.

You cannot make the calendar disappear, but you can plan around it. Most of the trouble comes from leaving the request until the last evening and from having no gap between the old house and the new one.

Why the last weekend fills up

Tenancy dates tend to follow the month. People finish a lease, get the keys to the next place and want to move in one go. That pushes demand for trucks and pickup vans into the same two or three days, and drivers with a choice of jobs may take the shorter or easier ones first.

You will often see this in the offers you receive: fewer drivers responding, or counter-offers that reflect how busy the day is. That is normal, and a reason to start earlier.

Move on the weekdays either side

If the lease allows it, the cleanest answer is to move on a weekday in the last week, or the first weekday of the new month. Roads are calmer, gatemen are less overwhelmed by trucks, and drivers have more time to read your request properly. Even moving on the Thursday instead of the Saturday often removes most of the pressure.

If you must move on the Saturday, request the truck several days ahead, not the night before.

Build a buffer into the dates

The mistake that hurts most is a zero-day gap: the old keys go back at noon and the new keys arrive at three. One late handover and your sofa spends the evening on a truck in traffic.

• Ask the new landlord whether you can collect keys a day early, or at least in the morning.
• Ask the old landlord whether you can stay until the evening of the last day.
• Pack the day before so loading takes hours, not the whole day.
• Keep your essentials in your own car or with you: documents, chargers, medicines, a change of clothes.

Sort the estate and landlord side early

Month-end is also when estates are busiest with move passes. Ask the gate or the estate office what they need to let a truck in, and whether there are set hours for moving. Rules differ by estate, so ask rather than assume. Our guide on getting past the estate gate covers what to prepare.

Also settle the handover with your landlord: walk through the flat together, note any damage, and agree on what happens to the keys. The handover day checklist goes through it step by step.

Describe the load properly so offers come quickly

On a busy weekend, a vague request is the one that gets ignored. Say exactly what you are moving: "three-bedroom flat, two wardrobes, one fridge, one freezer, a sofa set, four beds, about 40 boxes, second floor with stairs". Drivers can then make an offer without calling you to ask questions. Our guide on describing your load on Sphere shows how.

Compare offers calmly

When a few offers arrive, do not simply grab the first one. Look at what each driver has agreed to, whether they will help with loading, and how well the offer fits your timing. See comparing offers on Sphere.

How to do this on Sphere

Open the Sphere app, choose a truck or pickup van and add the pickup and drop-off. Describe the whole load, include floors, stairs and gate rules, and say the time window you need. Propose a price. Nearby verified drivers will accept or send counter-offers, and you choose which to take. Agree loading and offloading help with the driver before you accept.

For house moves, see house moving in Lagos and truck hire in Lagos.