Are you looking forward to getting a C of O for your property? In this article, I have written the breakdown step-by-step procedure on what it takes to get the title document in Lagos Nigeria.
Getting a C of O of property in Lagos has been seen as one of the difficult things to get when it comes to getting the right property title.
This has made many property owners neglect the idea of getting this important title document rather they are focusing on developing the property.
Before we proceed further, let’s define and have a better understanding of what a C of O is.
What is C of O (Certificate of Occupancy)
Table of Contents
C of O (Certificate of Occupancy) is a very important property title document issued by the State government in Nigeria to landowners or newly property buyers as proof of ownership after a successful property transaction and other requirements are met.
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About Land property in Lagos
One of the things many property buyers don’t know about properties in Lagos is that all the landed property in Lagos are been owned by the Lagos state government.
So in other to have full ownership of any property in Lagos after purchase you should embark on getting the C of O of the property. The reason is been that, without having the C of O title on the property, the government can indicate interest or demolish the property in the future without paying any compensation fee to the owner.
But if it is a situation whereby you have already gotten your C of O that bears your name on the property, the government will have to pay you for your property before or after intruding on it.
Read: step by step procedure on how to buy a house or landed property in Nigeria
Requirements for process C of O in Lagos State Nigeria
- Obtaining a C of O form (which will cost between ₦5,000 to ₦10,000).
- Sun-print of your survey plan.
- All the land information certificates
- Dead of assignment/Purchased receipts
- Passport photograph
- Site photograph
- If it is a developed land copy of the approved building plan is required.
- Assessment fee (this will be determined by the land).
- Administrative fee (to be determined by the land).
- Publication fees of ₦10,000.
- Evidence of tax payment/clearance
Read: Buyers – what to know before buying a land in Lagos
Step by step process of obtaining C of O in Lagos
Processing a C of O in Lagos takes a longer time to get it done. It takes 1 and a half years or 2 years to get it. This is one of the many reasons why people think is cumbersome.
The truth is that it’s the publication stage that takes much time. Publication of names can take up to one year to be done.
Having said that, lets dive into the step by step processing stages.
Step 1: submission of form and documents
The first step is to purchase your C of O form, fill it and submit it along with your property documents listed above in the requirements section.
Note: make sure you have all the listed required property documents and submit them to the right department.
Step 2: payment of government assessment fees
At this stage you are required to pay all the government assessment fee attached to the property.
Note: the amount for the assessment fee will be determined by the location and the size of the land. So to get these details, it will be after you have finished step 1 (which is submitting your documents).
Step 3: publication of names
After all, the required documents are submitted and the fees have been paid successfully, the next stage is the publication of names.
The government will Publicize the names of people who applied for the C of O title in the newspaper for a few weeks (21 days) in other to notify the public in case if there is any objection on the property in question.
Step 4: site inspection on the property
After names have been fully published for some period of time, the assigned government official will come to the property site to inspect it.
If any issue is found, it may affect the processing of the C of O title. So always make sure that everything is cleared when they come to your site.
Step 5: processing of the C of O title
After inspection of the property has been done, the next thing is for the department in charge to prepare all the individual C of O submitted.
Step 6: Signing of the C of O certificate
After the preparation of the certificate, it will then be submitted to Lagos State Governor for signing. The moment the exiting governor signs, the process is almost done.
Step 7: Registration and collection of the C of O certificate.
After his excellence signed all the submitted C of O certificates, the certificate will be stamped, registered, and documented for future references. Thereafter each individual/applicant will be contacted for the collection of their certificate.
Note: if you are processing yours, always follow up and request at which stage the process is.
If you looking forward to processing your C of O in Lagos, and you want to use an agent to get it done for you, we are here to serve you, all you need is to connect with us. Please endeavor you have all the requirements before reaching out to us Thank you.
Reasons why people abandon their C of O processing
- Inadequate information– Many times they don’t produce all the essential documents as well as the necessary information and so they get stocked at various stages and would never come back.
- Address issue – Some of the addresses people give are not even genuine.
- Doing it wrongly – Not everybody that applied is actually doing it rightly.
- Cost– the cost is high in some area
- Longer time – it takes a longer time
Check out >>> cost of drawing a building plan in Nigeria
Advantage of having C of O title for your property.
- One of the major advantages of having your title document is to claim your entitlements or compensation in case if the Lagos state government intrudes on your property.
- To be able to apply for a bank loan for a business or to move on in life.
- It is used to resolve any property dispute that may arise in the future.
- It can be used for mortgage transactions.
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Frequently Asked Question
How much will it cost to process C of O in Lagos?
The calculation of cost is based on the area and the size of the land. However, a plot of land can’t be more than ₦400,000 excluding a tax of ₦150,000.
Dose C of O have fake copy
Yes, in fact many C of O processed in Lagos Nigeria have a lots fake one.
How will I know that the C of O is fake?
You can never know until you go for property search.
Is there online platform for processing C of O in Lagos?
It is still on the pipeline
Is a survey plan a title document?
No, survey plan is not a title document.
What is deed of lease?
It is a temporary agreement to use a particular land for a period time.
Which property title document is best and guarantees secured ownership?
C of O or Governors consent.
When C of O property is sold to the first, second, and third buyers, what title document should the buyers obtain?
The C of O (Certificate of Occupancy) property title document is issued only once by the state government, so any subsequent sell on the property the buyers will obtain Governor’s Consent.
Between these two property title documents (C of O and Governors Consent) which one is greater?
Governors’ consent overrides C of O documents. For example, if there is a dispute over a particular property Between Mr. A and Mr. B.
Where, Mr. A has C of O of the property, while Mr. B has Governors Consent of the same property, in the court of law Mr. B will win over the property.
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Read: how to get your building plan permit in Lagos state
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