By Jesse Ampah Owusu
Accra, May 19, GNA – Mr Frederick Opoku, Acting Commissioner of the Rent Control Department, says the Department has begun engagements with the Judicial Service of Ghana to establish specialised courts to prosecute offenders of the country’s rent laws.
He said the move formed part of efforts to ensure strict enforcement of rent regulations and compliance by both property owners and tenants.
Mr Opoku disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency following recent visits to student hostels across the country to inspect facilities and pricing structures.
The visits were precipitated by appeals by the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) for the Department to intervene in the increasing cost of hostel accommodation.
Mr Opoku urged hostel owners to suspend any intended rent increments pending an assessment of their facilities to determine appropriate pricing levels.
“I will have to issue a statement that all hostel facilities not assessed should not attempt to increase their rents,” he said.
“Section 10 of the law makes it mandatory for rent to be assessed. So, if you have been charging rent without assessment, then you have breached the law.”
Mr Opoku said the Department was also working towards registering all landlords and tenants to develop a comprehensive database on properties, property owners and occupants.
He explained that the database would help facilitate data sharing with other state institutions.
“Rent is the foundation and fabric upon which everything is built, so we need to make the system more robust for people to enjoy,” he added.
Mr Opoku indicated that the Department would embark on a nationwide public education and sensitisation campaign to deepen public understanding of rent regulations.
Many landlords and tenants failed to comply with the law due to a lack of awareness of the regulations, he added.
GNA
Edited Agnes Boye-Doe
Reporter: Jesse Ampah Owusu