The Ghana Tenant Union has taken a swipe at the Rent Control Department, describing it as the most useless entity in Ghana.
The Union claims the Department has become toothless without the capacity to enforce the rent law.
The National President, Mr. Fredrick Opoku, says the Department is now ineffective, incapacitated, and must be scrapped because it is a useless entity that cannot exercise its powers.
Speaking in an interview on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, he said Ghanaian tenants are suffering serious pain at the hands of landlords who are courageously violating the Rent Act (Act 220).
He said that for the past 51 years since the law was passed, the Rent Control has failed in its duties in enforcing the law.
He posited that Rent Control is only heard of when there is a conflict between a tenant and the landlord.
“If there are no conflicts between tenants and their landlords, you will not hear from the Rent Control Department. The law mandates them to build a registry where landlords will come and register the facilities that they are renting, so tenants who are interested in renting will go and look them up. But they are not doing that.
The law also prevents landlords from increasing their rent without approval from Rent Control. But these landlords are recklessly increasing their rent even without any renovations to the building.
Section 25(5) states that it is criminal and illegal for landlords to take more than a six-month advance. However, they are taking two to three years. Those who also rent stores for commercial activities are being asked to pay goodwill and several years of rent, which are also against the law. These are challenges affecting Ghanaian tenants, but the Rent Control Department is unable to deal with these issues. The Department is now useless and must be scrapped,” he told host Kwabena Agyapong.
Meanwhile, Public Relations Officer for the Department, Emmanuel Kporsu, has refuted the assertions.
He said the department has consistently discharged its constitutional duty as expected.
“I am grateful for this opportunity to respond to the issues. We are discharging our duties effectively. The law has explained how much landlords should pay for rent. It does not prevent tenants from reaching an agreement with the landlords to accept two years of rent.
The landlord should not demand more than six months. But it does not prevent a tenant from paying rent for more than one or two years, which was proposed by the tenant.”
On the issue of the directory, the PRO said it is part of the law, but the registry has become difficult due to the housing deficit, and also, before a landlord comes to register, there is already somebody at his door requesting to rent the facility.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
