Realtypedia
Abuja property, explained in plain words
42 terms you’ll meet when buying, renting or investing in the FCT, from titles and consent to service charges. Each one links to the terms around it, so you can follow a deal from start to finish.
42 terms
A
B
C
- Capital gains taxCGTTax that may be due on the profit when you sell a property.Buying & costs
- CarcassShellA building with its structure and roof in place but no finishes.Property types
- Caution depositA refundable sum held by the landlord to cover damage or unpaid bills.Renting
- Certificate of OccupancyC of OThe government-issued title that confirms a statutory right to occupy and use a piece of land.Titles & documents
- Contract of saleThe agreement that sets the price, payment terms and conditions before ownership is transferred.Titles & documents
- Customary Right of OccupancyA right to land in rural areas, granted by local authorities rather than the FCT Minister.Land administration
D
- Deed of AssignmentThe legal document that transfers the seller’s interest in a property to the buyer.Titles & documents
- Detached duplexA two-storey house standing on its own plot, with no shared walls.Property types
- Development ControlThe FCT department that approves building plans and enforces planning rules.Land administration
- Districts & phasesHow the Abuja master plan groups the city into districts built out in phases.Land administration
- Due diligenceThe checks a buyer makes before paying, to confirm the property and title are what they claim to be.Buying & costs
E
F
G
I
L
- Land bankingBuying land to hold for future price growth rather than to build on now.Buying & costs
- Land Use ActThe 1978 law that vests land in government and grants people rights of occupancy to use it.Land administration
- Leasehold vs freeholdWhy Abuja property is held for a term of years, not forever.Land administration
- Legal feeThe fee paid to the lawyer who prepares agreements and handles the legal side of a deal.Buying & costs
M
O
P
Q
R
- RecertificationThe FCT exercise that replaced older land titles with new computerised records.Land administration
- RevocationWhen government cancels a right of occupancy.Land administration
- Right of OccupancyR of OThe offer that grants land to an allottee, issued before the Certificate of Occupancy.Titles & documents
S
- Satellite townsThe growing towns around the Federal Capital City, such as Kubwa, Lugbe and Gwagwalada.Land administration
- Self-containStudioA single room with its own bathroom and kitchen space.Property types
- Semi-detached duplexA two-storey house that shares one wall with a neighbouring unit.Property types
- Service chargeA regular payment for shared services in an estate or building.Renting
- Serviced plotLand in an area where roads, drainage and utilities are already in place.Property types
- Stamp dutyA tax paid on legal documents such as deeds and leases.Buying & costs
T
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Realtypedia gives general information, not legal advice. Before you pay for anything, we can check the title, confirm the plot on the ground and walk you through every document.