Acting Rent Control Commissioner directs landlords, hostel operators to issue rent cards

The Acting Commissioner of Rent Control, Frederick Opoku, has instructed landlords and private hostel operators in the country to provide rent cards to tenants or face legal consequences. He emphasized that this was a mandatory requirement and failure to comply could result in six months of imprisonment. According to Mr. Opoku, landlords or hostel operators who do not issue rent cards or tenancy agreement documents to tenants are breaching Section 20 of the Act 220 and PNDC Law 138 (Act 1986).

During a press conference in Sunyani, the acting commissioner cautioned that landlords and private hostel operators who violate the law face a minimum fine of 200 penalty units or imprisonment for a period of six months, or both. Mr. Opoku urged tenants and students in private hostels to insist on proper documentation and receipts from their landlords and encouraged them to maintain those documents as evidence to allow the rent control to monitor and regulate unlawful and unfair rent and hostel charges.

He highlighted that the rent control has a responsibility to oversee and ensure that private hostel operators in the country adhere to the law. Section 2 of the Rent Act mandates the Commissioner to enforce the law, and Mr. Opoku advised landlords and hostel operators to comply to avoid trouble. He also called on the government to establish affordable housing facilities for university students and prevent private hostel operators from charging exorbitant fees from students.