Ghana’s Acting Rent Commissioner Frederick Opoku, says the country is entering a new phase in rent regulation reforms, where longstanding rental laws will finally be enforced after decades of weak implementation.

He explained that the government is prioritising education and stakeholder engagements before full enforcement begins, in order to ensure landlords and tenants understand their obligations under existing laws.

Speaking with GhanaWeb's Etsey Atisu on The Lowdown, he stated that the reform is not about creating new laws, but activating already existing legal frameworks that govern rental relationships in the country.

'Ghana has only 185 Rent Control staff across the country' – Rent Commissioner

“The Rent Control Department of the republic is to ensure that we regulate the behavior, attitudes of these two important stakeholders. And at the end of the day, we want to see sanity, reconciliation and peace in our homes. So, to put all together, Section 2 of the act requires that presidents should have appointed a Rent Commissioner and the Rent Commissioner is responsible to ensuring that the administrative angles of the law is what is implemented.

“Unfortunately, this year, six decades after the law was promulgated, nothing of that sort has happened, so the moment the president invoked Section 2 of the act, you realise that it is becoming a conversation because it has now empowered a particular individual who is responsible to ensuring that the rent laws of the republic works," he remarked.

He noted that the Rent Control Department’s role is to restore order in the rental system by ensuring both landlords and tenants follow the rules, stressing that the ultimate goal is stability and fairness in housing relations.

“We want to see sanity, reconciliation and peace in our homes. This law has been in existence for over six decades but unfortunately, it has never at any time been enforced, that is why I have been appointed to ensure implementation," he noted.

According to him, landlords are now expected to comply with rent card requirements and tenancy registration processes as part of the legal framework, which will improve accountability and reduce disputes in the sector.

“By April 1, all landlords are expected to comply. Landlords are to issue rent cards to tenants. The rent card is like a transactional document. Whenever there are changes, it must be updated,”

He further explained that tenancy agreements must be registered with the Rent Control within 14 days of a rental arrangement, forming the official basis of landlord-tenant obligations.

“When a landlord releases their property, within two weeks,
he is expected to register the tenancy agreement with Rent Control. That is the root of the agreement between landlord and tenant. Any breach means you are culpable under the law,” he added.

Frederick Opoku said the current phase of implementation is focused on public education, as many citizens are unaware of the laws governing rent administration in Ghana.

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