A room and parlour is one bedroom plus one sitting room. A mini flat is a room and parlour with its own kitchen and its own toilet and bathroom. The two names are often used for the same thing, and that is where renters get caught out. A “room and parlour self contain” is a mini flat. A plain “room and parlour” in an older building may share the kitchen and toilet with other tenants. This guide shows how to tell which one a listing means.
The short answer
| Room and parlour (shared) | Room and parlour self contain / mini flat | Self contain | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedroom | One | One | None separate: one room does both |
| Sitting room | Yes | Yes | No |
| Toilet and bathroom | Usually shared | Private, inside the unit | Private, inside the unit |
| Kitchen | Usually shared, or none | Private | Small kitchen or cooking corner, sometimes none |
| Typical building | Older tenement or rooming house | Block of flats, compound or BQ | Block of flats, compound or BQ |
The differences between a self contain and a mini flat are covered in mini flat vs self contained. This page is about the room and parlour, which sits next to both.
Room and parlour in an older building
In many older parts of Lagos, Ibadan and other cities, rooms are let in tenement buildings where several households share one corridor, one set of toilets and bathrooms and one kitchen area. The most familiar layout is the face-me-I-face-you, with rooms on both sides of a central passage. In those buildings a tenant can rent a single room, or a room and parlour: two connected rooms, one used as a bedroom and one as a sitting room. The extra room gives more space and privacy, but the shared facilities stay shared.
Room and parlour self contain: the mini flat
When the listing adds “self contain” or “self contained”, the unit has its own toilet and bathroom inside, and normally its own kitchen. That is a mini flat in everything but name. Some agents also call it a one-bedroom flat, though a one-bedroom flat in a newer block is often larger, with a bigger kitchen and sometimes a guest toilet.
A room and parlour self contain at the back of a house is also a common form of BQ.
Questions to ask before you view
- Is the toilet and bathroom inside the unit and for this unit only?
- Is there a kitchen inside the unit, or a shared cooking area?
- How many households share the building, the toilets and the kitchen?
- Does the unit have its own prepaid meter, or is electricity shared and split?
- Where does water come from, and is it shared?
- Is the parlour a real separate room with a door, or a partitioned corner?
Ask for photos of the toilet, bathroom and kitchen. If the answer is “you will see it when you come”, assume they are shared until you have seen otherwise.
Which one suits you
- Room and parlour with shared facilities: the lowest rent for two rooms, close to work in older central areas. Suits people who accept sharing to save money.
- Mini flat: a private home for one person or a couple, with a separate sitting room for visitors. Costs more than the shared version in the same area.
- Self contain: private, but one room for everything. Usually cheaper than a mini flat in the same building.
Whatever you choose, pay by transfer, get a receipt for each payment and a written tenancy agreement. See what a rent receipt must contain and tenancy agreements in Nigeria.
Finding one on Cabans
Search mini flats for rent and self contains for rent. Each listing names the landlord, owner or agent; message them on Cabans to confirm the kitchen and bathroom before you visit.
Frequently asked questions
What is a room and parlour?
A room and parlour is a unit with one bedroom (the room) and one sitting room (the parlour). On its own the phrase says nothing about the kitchen or the toilet and bathroom. In older tenement buildings those are often shared with other tenants.
Is a room and parlour the same as a mini flat?
Only when it is self-contained. A "room and parlour self contain" has its own toilet, bathroom and usually its own kitchen, and that is what most people mean by a mini flat. A room and parlour that shares the toilet and kitchen with other tenants is not a mini flat.
What is a room and parlour self contain?
It is a bedroom and a sitting room with a private toilet and bathroom inside the unit, and usually a private kitchen. In practice it is another name for a mini flat or a one-bedroom flat.
Which is cheaper, a room and parlour or a mini flat?
In the same area, a room and parlour with shared facilities usually rents for less than a mini flat, because the tenant gives up a private kitchen and bathroom. Rent levels vary a great deal by area, so compare listings in the place you want to live.
Related guides
Mini flat vs self contained · Self contain in Nigeria · Face-me-I-face-you meaning · BQ meaning · Electricity bands and prepaid meters
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