No repairs, no justification for rent increase — Rent Control boss tells landlords

The Acting Rent Commissioner, Frederick Opoku, has cautioned landlords against using fluctuations in the exchange rate and rising building material costs as justification for arbitrary rent increases, describing such claims as misleading and unlawful.

Speaking in an interview on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily programme on Thursday, May 8, Mr Opoku said many landlords were relying on unfounded explanations to impose rent hikes on tenants without following the legal procedures required under Ghana’s rent laws.

According to him, some property owners frequently cite increases in the prices of cement, iron rods and other construction materials despite failing to undertake any maintenance or improvement works on their buildings for long periods.

“If you are maintaining a property, first of all, before you talk about cement going up, you should have bought cement. Before you claim the iron rod has gone up, you must prove where you bought it,” he stated.

Mr Opoku questioned the rationale behind landlords increasing rent based solely on prevailing market trends or actions taken by other property owners.

“You built a property 10 years ago, and you’ve never painted it. Thirty years and you have not bought iron rods. You’ve done nothing on maintenance. Then you hear rent has gone up somewhere and decide to increase yours because a friend’s rent has gone up. Is that not illegal?” he asked.

The Acting Rent Commissioner stressed that no landlord had the legal authority to increase rent unilaterally without approval from the Rent Control Department.

“No landlord has any right whatsoever to sit at will and increase your rent. It is illegal,” he emphasised.

He explained that landlords seeking rent adjustments must formally apply to the Rent Control Department and provide evidence of maintenance works or improvements carried out on the property to justify the proposed increment.

Mr Opoku’s remarks form part of ongoing efforts by the Rent Control Department to enforce compliance within Ghana’s rental housing sector and protect both tenants and landlords from exploitation and unlawful practices.

His comments come at a time when many tenants across the country continue to complain about rising accommodation costs amid economic pressures and increasing demand for housing, particularly in urban centres.