Moving Out of a Rented Flat in Lagos: Handover Day Checklist

The truck leaves at noon, the landlord's agent says he will come at two, and there is still a wardrobe in the bedroom and a bucket of paint in the kitchen. Handover day goes wrong when the move and the handover are treated as two separate things.

This is a checklist for moving out of a rented flat in Lagos with a full household load, in a way that lets you leave on good terms. It is practical advice, not legal advice. Where your tenancy agreement says something different, the agreement wins.

A week before: agree the day and the details

Message the landlord or agent in writing and confirm three things: the date you are leaving, the time they will come to inspect, and who will be there. Write it down even if you spoke on the phone.

Read your tenancy agreement for anything about notice, repairs or the state the flat should be left in. Do not rely on memory of what was said when you signed.

If you live in an estate or a block with a gateman or a management office, ask about moving-out rules, because some do not let trucks in at any hour. Our guide on getting past the estate gate covers what to ask.

Three days before: photograph the flat

Take clear photos and short videos of every room, including the walls, floors, ceiling, bathroom fittings, kitchen cupboards and the compound. Date them. If there is an existing mark or a fault you did not cause, photograph it close up too.

This is not about being difficult. It is just a record. Moves are tiring, and a calm set of photos helps both sides agree about the condition of the place.

The day before: pack in the order you leave

Pack the rooms you use least first. Keep a "last box" for the things you still need on the final night: phone chargers, toiletries, a change of clothes, the tenancy documents, and your landlord's number.

Do not leave everything for the morning. If the truck is due at 9, the beds should already be stripped and the wardrobes emptied. Take the wardrobe doors off and the bed frames apart if they are meant to come apart. Our four-bedroom house plan works through the order room by room, and it applies to a flat too.

Also sort what you are not taking: things for the compound's refuse arrangements, things you are giving away, and things the landlord's fittings include that must stay. If you installed your own split unit, bulb fittings or curtain rails, decide now whether they are coming with you and repair the marks they leave.

Moving day, in sequence

1. Be there early. Whoever holds the keys, the gate pass and the load plan should be on site before the driver.
2. Load the big items first. Mattresses, wardrobes, fridge and cooker go on first, and boxes fill the gaps.
3. Sweep as each room clears. A room that is empty and swept can be crossed off. It stops you doing it all at once at the end.
4. Check cupboards, ceilings and the compound. Look inside cupboards, behind doors, on shelves, in the store and in the generator house. These are where forgotten things hide.
5. Photograph the empty rooms. Take the same shots as before, now showing the flat empty and clean.
6. Take final meter readings. If the flat has a prepaid or postpaid meter, photograph the reading and note it. Settle any outstanding electricity or water arrangements with the landlord.
7. Walk the inspection with the landlord or agent. Go room by room together, point to the photos if anything is queried, and agree anything that needs fixing before you leave.
8. Hand over the keys. Count them, including the gate key, any padlock keys and the remote if there is one. Hand them over in person and ask for a written message confirming handover.

What to keep in your own car or hands

Keep the documents, valuables, phone, wallet, laptop and keys with you, not on the truck. Our note on what to carry in your own car lists the rest.

Timing the truck against the handover

If the landlord can only inspect at two, do not plan for the truck to leave at one. Aim to finish loading with at least an hour in hand. Rushing the last room is how a forgotten fan or a smeared floor becomes an argument.

If the drop-off is in the same city and the new place is ready, you can leave with the load and come back for the inspection, but only if someone trusted stays with the truck.

How to do this on Sphere

Open the Sphere app, choose a truck or a pickup van depending on how much you have, and add the flat address and your new address. In the load description, mention the floor, whether there is a lift, the gate rules and the time the landlord is coming. Then propose a price. Verified drivers nearby accept it or send counter-offers, and you pick the one you want.

Before you accept, agree the arrival time, who helps with loading and offloading, and what happens if the inspection runs late. For a whole household, see house moving in Lagos.