Acting Rent Commissioner says landlords cannot impose arbitrary rent charges without property assessment

Frederick Opoku, Acting Rent Commissioner, says landlords cannot arbitrarily determine rent charges without proper assessment. He insists "the law requires all rental properties to be assessed." He criticized what he described as growing "lawlessness" within Ghana's rental market, where some landlords allegedly fix rental prices without regulatory oversight.

According to Mr. Opoku, investment in real estate does not exempt property owners from complying with Ghana's rent laws. He argued that rental charges must still be subjected to fair assessment processes to ensure equity and transparency. He stressed, "You cannot sit down, do your own calculations and peg anything because you're an investor." His comments come amid increasing public concerns over rising rent costs in major cities such as Accra and Kumasi, where tenants have repeatedly complained about arbitrary pricing and demands for advance payments.

The Acting Rent Commissioner disclosed that authorities are preparing to review existing rent assessment mechanisms as part of broader efforts to strengthen enforcement under the Rent Act. According to him, property owners will be allowed to bring in experts during the assessment process to ensure fairness and transparency. Mr. Opoku further hinted at possible amendments to portions of the Rent Act before the end of the year to address gaps in enforcement and improve regulatory compliance within the housing sector.