Tenants Association accuses Rent Control of refusing to protect tenants

The Tenants Association of Ghana has launched a blistering attack on the Rent Control Department, accusing it of abandoning its core duty of protecting tenants and enforcing the country’s rental laws.

Speaking on the Ghana Yensom morning show on Accra 100.5 FM, Friday, October 3, 2025, the Association’s Executive Director, Frederick Opoku, said the Department has become virtually irrelevant, describing it as a “toothless bulldog” incapable of tackling the persistent abuse of tenants by landlords.

Mr. Opoku argued that the Rent Act of 1960 (Act 220, subsection 25) is clear—landlords cannot demand more than six months’ rent in advance. Yet, across the country, many landlords continue to demand two years or more upfront, with Rent Control doing little to stop them.

“When you complain, the Department often comes to the defense of the landlords, saying tenants themselves make the offer to pay rent advances,” he lamented.

He accused the Department of siding with landlords instead of enforcing the law, adding that the situation has left ordinary Ghanaians vulnerable to exploitation. He went as far as calling for the collapse of the Department, insisting that it has failed the very people it was created to protect.

But the Rent Control Department quickly pushed back. Its Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Kpossu, dismissed the Association’s claims as baseless and misleading.

“Those who know the worth of the Department always seek our assistance in times of need,” he said, maintaining that Rent Control remains relevant and continues to serve tenants.

The clash has reignited a heated national debate over Ghana’s rental housing crisis. Many callers who phoned into the programme sided with the Association, arguing that the Department’s inability to check excessive advance demands has worsened the plight of tenants struggling to secure affordable housing.