Rent Control Department Moves to Enforce Rental Laws, Limit Rent Advance to One Year

The Ashanti Regional Office of the Department of Rent Control (DRC), under the Ministry of Works and Housing, has outlined key provisions of Ghana’s rental laws, noting that many of these regulations are not widely known or enforced among landlords and tenants.

The Department has also announced plans to introduce a new bill aimed at amending the Rent Act, 1963 (Act 220), as part of efforts to modernise the rental sector. A major feature of the proposed legislation is the restriction of rent advance payments to a maximum of one year.

Under the existing Rent Act, the Department is mandated to regulate landlord–tenant relationships, determine recoverable rent, and mediate disputes nationwide.

Speaking to the media, the Ashanti Regional Public Relations Officer of the Department, Mr. Paul Kofi Appiah, explained that the proposed legal reforms are intended to reduce the financial burden placed on tenants while also equipping landlords with clearer legal procedures for dealing with defaulting or problematic tenants, especially in eviction cases.

He further disclosed that the Department will soon roll out a comprehensive property assessment exercise through a dedicated taskforce to determine fair monthly rental charges for residential and commercial properties.

According to Mr. Appiah, landlords and property managers whose properties are assessed will be issued official certificates indicating the approved rent. These rates, he said, will remain valid for three years and can only be reviewed after that period, unless major structural improvements or renovations are carried out.

Mr. Appiah noted that although property assessment is already captured under existing law, weak enforcement has limited its impact. He assured that enforcement would soon be intensified, adding that hostel operators, administrators, and property managers would be sensitised on the Department’s authority to assess properties and regulate rental charges.

He explained that factors such as location, size of the property, construction materials, and available amenities would inform the assessment process. The taskforce, he said, would comprise a valuer, a legal practitioner, and the Rent Officer for the area, and assessments would be conducted in the presence of both landlords or managers and tenants.

He added that the taskforce would also undertake regular monitoring visits after the assessment exercise to ensure compliance with approved rent levels.

The Regional PRO also revealed that plans are underway to introduce a standard tenancy agreement for nationwide use. He emphasised that the law already requires landlords to issue tenancy agreements to tenants and to register them with the Department.

He cautioned that landlords who fail to provide tenancy agreements would be compelled by the taskforce to obtain one at their own expense.

Mr. Appiah concluded that the renewed enforcement drive, spearheaded by the Acting Commissioner of the Rent Control Department, Mr. Fred-erick Opoku, reflects the Department’s resolve to sanitise and properly regulate Ghana’s rental sector for the benefit of both tenants and landlords.