Lagos “Duplex” House Hunt Video Sparks Debate Over Housing Crisis and Safety Concerns

A viral video captioned as a house-hunting experience in Lagos has sparked a mix of laughter and frustration online, showing a property agent making a precarious climb up what appears to be dangerously narrow stairs inside an unfinished kitchen of a property being marketed as a duplex.

The clip has struck a nerve among Lagos residents familiar with the city’s housing market, where soaring rents and acute shortages have pushed landlords to market even the most cramped or oddly designed properties under premium labels.

Many viewers found humour in the exaggerated use of the word “duplex” to describe what appeared to be a tight, unconventional space, while others expressed genuine concern about the safety of the staircase.

However, engineers and architects who weighed in on the debate offered some context, explaining that the stairs shown are likely still mid-construction a floating staircase that would eventually be fitted with wider treads and proper railings before the building is completed.

The property may therefore have been shown to a prospective tenant prematurely.

The video has nonetheless reignited broader conversations about Lagos’ housing crisis, where desperate demand routinely outpaces supply, leaving many tenants with little choice but to consider properties that are cramped, quirky in design, or still under construction.

Lady left stunned after seeing staircase in duplex during house hunting with her agent pic.twitter.com/JALYaxtQCa

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