Editorial: Landlords Should Not Take Advantage Of Tenants Due To Housing Deficit

President John Dramani Mahama has urged tenants to report landlords who demand excessive rent advances, stressing the need to enforce existing housing laws in Ghana. Speaking during a meeting with organised labour at Jubilee House, he highlighted the growing strain housing costs are placing on households.

He noted that accommodation expenses continue to consume a large share of incomes, leaving many workers struggling to secure decent housing. The President called for a national housing dialogue involving government, labour and the private sector to develop sustainable solutions, including social housing and accessible rental systems.

Importantly, he pointed out that the increasing demand for large rent advances, sometimes up to two years is unlawful under the Rent Act, 1963 (Act 220).

The law stipulates that landlords are not permitted to demand more than six months’ rent advance.

However, due to the country’s housing deficit, some landlords exploit the situation by imposing excessive and illegal charges on tenants.

President Mahama, therefore, encouraged tenants to seek redress at rent courts and report such practices, assuring that offenders would be sanctioned to restore fairness in Ghana’s rental housing sector.

The Chronicle is of the view that the intervention by President John Dramani Mahama on the long-standing issue of rent exploitation in Ghana deserves unequivocal commendation.

For far too long, the country’s rental housing system has operated in defiance of the very law meant to regulate it.

Under the Rent Act, 1963 (Act 220), it is clearly stipulated that landlords are only permitted to take a maximum of six months’ rent advance.

This provision was designed to protect tenants from undue financial pressure and to ensure fairness in access to accommodation.

Yet, in reality, this law has been routinely flouted. Today, it is common practice for landlords to demand one year, two years, or even more in advance before handing over keys to a property.

This distortion of the rent system in Ghana has created a deeply inequitable housing market. Tenants are forced to take loans, deplete life savings or depend on family support simply to secure a place to live.

For young professionals, low-income earners, and even middle-class workers, the burden is overwhelming.

In a struggling economy, such practices are not just exploitative they are oppressive.

The President’s call for tenants to report such violations is therefore both bold and necessary. It is our hope that the landlords who defaults this instruction of not charging two year rent are used as scapegoats to serve as a deterrent to other landlords.

For too long, tenants have suffered in silence, often unaware that the law is on their side. Empowering citizens to seek justice through rent courts is a critical step toward restoring balance in the system.

However, enforcement remains the missing link. Ghana’s rent control mechanisms have historically been weak, under-resourced, and largely ineffective. Without strengthening these institutions, the law will continue to exist only on paper.

The country must invest in expanding rent control offices, simplifying reporting procedures, and ensuring swift adjudication of cases.

Beyond enforcement, the structural issues must also be addressed. Ghana’s housing deficit continues to fuel high demand, giving landlords undue leverage.

The proposed national housing dialogue is, therefore, essential. A comprehensive approach that includes affordable housing schemes, public-private partnerships, and innovative rental models is needed to reform the system.

The Chronicle believes this is a defining moment. The President has reignited a conversation that affects millions of Ghanaians.

If his directives are matched with decisive action, we can finally move toward a fair and lawful rental system, one where six months’ rent is not just a legal provision, but a lived reality.

 

 

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