Commissioner of the Rent Control Department, Frederick Opoku, has stated that landlords and property owners are not permitted to set rent prices at their own discretion. He emphasized that all rental properties must be properly assessed in accordance with the law before charges are determined.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Mr Opoku condemned what he described as increasing “lawlessness” in Ghana’s rental sector, where landlords reportedly fix rent prices without any regulatory oversight.
“That’s where I’m talking about the lawlessness. The law says you assess. We will assess you,” he stated.
However, Mr Opoku noted that investment in real estate does not exempt property owners from complying with Ghana’s rent laws.
According to him, rental charges must undergo fair evaluation processes to promote equity and transparency, while investors retain the right to earn reasonable returns on their properties.
“You cannot sit down, do your own calculations and peg anything just because you’re an investor,” he said.
His comments come amid growing public concerns over rising rent costs in major cities, including Accra and Kumasi, where tenants have repeatedly complained about arbitrary pricing and demands for advance payments.
Mr Opoku added that property owners will be allowed to bring in experts during the evaluation process to ensure fairness and transparency.
Meanwhile, he revealed that authorities are preparing to review current rent assessment mechanisms as part of broader efforts to strengthen enforcement under the Rent Act.