Rent Commissioner is overstepping his mandate by inspecting hostels – Hostel Owners Chairman

Bishop Dr Akwasi Owusu, the Chair of the Hostel Owners Association, has criticized the Rent Commissioner, Frederick Opoku, for allegedly exceeding his authority by inspecting private student hostels. According to Owusu, there are already established regulatory bodies, such as the Ghana Tourism Authority, Ghana National Fire Service, and the Police, that are responsible for inspecting and regulating student accommodation facilities before they are licensed to operate.

In an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Owusu reminded the Rent Commissioner that the Rent Act does not authorize him to conduct such inspections. He explained that hostel operators are regularly inspected by these agencies to ensure their facilities meet required standards before receiving licenses. Owusu argued that the Rent Commissioner's actions could undermine the work of these legally mandated institutions and questioned whether the term "premises" under the law refers to private hostels.

His comments followed the Rent Commissioner's announcement that he inspected some private student accommodation facilities after receiving a petition from the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), expressing concern over the conditions in these facilities. However, Owusu maintained that hostel owners should be addressed through the appropriate regulatory channels and accused the Rent Commissioner of seeking public approval by scrutinizing hostel conditions without fully considering the existing regulatory framework.