President John Dramani Mahama has urged tenants across Ghana to speak up against landlords who demand excessive rent advances, describing the practice as exploitative and one that continues to put pressure on already struggling households.

Speaking during a meeting with Organised Labour at the Jubilee House on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, the president acknowledged the growing frustration many Ghanaians face when trying to secure accommodation.

He noted that the rising cost of housing is taking a heavy toll on incomes, leaving many families with little to meet other basic needs.

“Housing is a major problem, and for households, it is consuming their income. We need to have a national housing dialogue and decide how, between the private sector, government, and labour, we can come together and come up with a social housing policy to make sure that we provide affordable housing for workers to purchase on a mortgage or to be able to rent at a favourable cost,” he stated.

The president pointed to Ghana’s housing deficit as a key factor driving the situation, explaining that the shortage has emboldened some landlords to demand rent advances far beyond what the law permits.

In many cases, tenants feel they have no choice but to comply in order to secure a place to live.

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Despite existing laws that cap rent advances at six months, the practice of charging one to two years’ rent upfront remains widespread.

President Mahama suggested that the reluctance of both tenants and landlords to seek legal redress has allowed the problem to persist unchecked.

“The reason why the private house owners are taking advantage is because of the deficit in housing. We have the rent court, and we say do not take more than six months of rent advance, but the one who is renting and the house owner are both not prepared to go to the rent court,” he explained.

According to a report on 3news.com on March 18, 2026, he encouraged tenants to take advantage of available legal channels and report landlords who flout the rules, assuring them that action will be taken.

“You can report them to the rent court, and we will ensure they are dealt with,” he stated.

His comments come at a time when many Ghanaians have raised concerns over the difficulty of securing accommodation, with long rent advances often cited as one of the biggest barriers, especially for young people and low-income earners.

NA/VPO

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