The Acting Rent Commissioner, Frederick Opoku, says a renewed push to enforce Ghana’s rent laws is already yielding results, with landlords across the country beginning to comply with long-ignored legal requirements.

Speaking on The Lowdown on GhanaWeb TV, he told Etsey Atisu that many landlords are now lining up at Rent Control offices to obtain rent cards, a key requirement under existing laws that had largely gone unenforced for decades.

“For that matter, with respect to the rent card, go across the country, and people have joined the queue. Landlords are following. Everybody is obeying the law,” he said.

The rent card, he explained, serves as an official record of transactions between landlords and tenants, helping to resolve disputes when they arise.

Its enforcement forms part of broader efforts to restore order and fairness in Ghana’s rental housing sector.

Opoku acknowledged that ignorance of the law has been a major challenge, noting that many Ghanaians, both landlords and tenants, are simply unaware of their rights and responsibilities.

“I realised that people are ignorant of the law, honestly,” he admitted.

To address this, he said his immediate focus is not punishment, but education and engagement.

Rather than rushing into strict enforcement, the Rent Control Department is prioritising public awareness to bring both landlords and tenants on board.

“Let me ensure I can engage the landlords, I can engage the tenants… I should do a lot of sensitisation, a lot of creating awareness,” he said.

The renewed enforcement drive follows the activation of provisions in the Rent Act, which has existed for over six decades but has never been fully implemented.

Frederick Opoku credited the current administration of President John Dramani Mahama for prioritising reforms in the sector.

He added that while compliance is improving, the ultimate goal is to create a more transparent and peaceful rental system where both landlords and tenants understand and respect the law.

NA/AE

Ghana’s Rent Crisis: Ag Rent Commissioner details weak enforcement, rising costs