Acting Rent Commissioner Frederick Opoku has warned the University of Ghana Enterprises Limited (UGEL) and private hostel operators nationwide to comply with rent regulations or face legal action.

He said the Rent Control Department would no longer tolerate violations of the law, stressing that no institution or individual would be spared because of their status or connections.

Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, Opoku said the Department’s previous approach of leniency had encouraged some hostel operators to disregard the law.

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“We have been lenient, and they are taking that for granted. I don’t care who is involved; we will deal with them in accordance with the law. People cannot disrespect the law,” he stated.

He said the ongoing enforcement exercise should serve as a warning to hostel operators nationwide, adding that institutions that failed to comply with the Department’s directives would be held accountable.

“This must serve as a test and a lesson to all private hostels in the country. KNUST and the others have been warned, and they will have to comply. They will refund the students’ money,” he added.

His comments follow a disagreement between the Rent Control Department and UGEL over proposed increases in residential accommodation fees at the University of Ghana.

The dispute arose after the University of Ghana Students’ Representative Council (UGSRC) petitioned the authorities to review UGEL’s proposed accommodation charges.

In response, the Rent Control Department directed UGEL and private hostel operators across the country to suspend all unassessed rent increases, revert to their previous rates and refund excess payments collected from students.

The directive gave affected operators between November 3 and November 17, 2026, to complete the refunds and submit documentary evidence to the Department.

The Rent Control Department maintains that private hostels and student accommodation facilities are covered by Ghana’s rent laws and cannot impose arbitrary increases without the necessary assessment.

It has also cautioned that operators who fail to comply with the directive risk legal and administrative sanctions under the Rent Act, 1963 (Act 220), and the Rent Control Act, 1986 (PNDCL 138).

NA/BAI