President John Dramani Mahama has urged tenants to report landlords who request more than the legally allowed rent advance, advocating for stricter enforcement to prevent exploitation within the housing sector.
During a discussion with Organised Labour at the Jubilee House in Accra on Tuesday, March 17, the President highlighted that increasing housing costs are placing a significant strain on households, making it progressively harder to find affordable accommodation.
“Housing is a significant issue, and for many households, it is consuming a large portion of their income. We need to engage in a national housing dialogue to determine how the private sector, government, and labour can collaborate to develop a social housing policy that ensures affordable housing is available for workers, whether for purchase through a mortgage or for rent at a reasonable cost,” he stated.
President Mahama linked the rising trend of excessive rent demands to the country’s housing deficit, a challenge he committed to addressing, while also noting that some landlords are taking advantage of this situation to impose illegal charges on tenants.
“The reason private homeowners are exploiting the situation is due to the housing deficit. We have the rent court, and we state that no more than six months of rent advance should be taken, yet neither the tenant nor the landlord is willing to approach the rent court,” he added.
He further encouraged tenants to take proactive measures by reporting such incidents to the relevant authorities, specifically the rent court, assuring that violators would be held responsible.
“You can report them to the rent court, and we will ensure that the landlord is held accountable,” he emphasised.
The President’s comments come in response to increasing public concern regarding the prevalent practice of landlords demanding up to two years’ rent in advance, a situation that has been widely condemned as unlawful and exploitative.
