Accra: Mr Courage Cornelius Sonu, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Western Regional Rent Control Department, has pointed out that the lack of proper tenancy agreements is a significant factor contributing to disputes between landlords and tenants in the housing and rental sector.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr Sonu revealed in an interview that the Rent Office recorded 287 complaints in 2025, with 240 of these from landlords and 47 from tenants. Of these complaints, 46 were struck out, two withdrawn, 135 settled, and 63 were referred to the courts for resolution. The absence of written tenancy agreements was noted as a primary cause of these disputes.
Mr Sonu explained that many conflicts arise because landlords or tenants make demands not clearly defined in writing at the beginning of the rental relationship. To address these issues, the Rent Office is implementing rental reforms designed to bring all stakeholders in the sector together and enhance rent control.
The reforms being introduced include a six-month advance rent payment cap, regulation of recoverable rent determination, and mandatory registration of landlords, tenants, and properties. Additional measures involve standardizing rent and tenancy agreements using model templates, increasing public education efforts, establishing a registry of vacant premises to address agent-related challenges, and licensing and regulating agents and agencies.
Mr Sonu encouraged landlords to recognize the importance of formal tenancy agreements and advised tenants to thoroughly read and understand all clauses before signing to reduce misunderstandings and confusion in the rental sector.