Sunyani: Mr Frederick Opoku, the Acting Commissioner of the Rent Control, has directed landlords and private hostel operators in the country to prepare and issue rent cards to tenants or face prosecution. He emphasized that it is mandatory for landlords to issue these cards and formalize tenancy agreements with their clients, warning that failure to comply could result in a six-month imprisonment.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr Opoku explained that landlords or hostel operators who do not issue rent cards or tenancy agreement documents to tenants are in violation of Section 20 of Act 220 and the PNDC Law 138 (Act 1986). During a news conference in Sunyani, he cautioned that offenders could face a minimum fine of 200 penalty units, a six-month jail term, or both.
Mr Opoku encouraged tenants and students residing in private hostels to demand proper documentation and receipts from their landlords, advising them to keep these documents as evidence. He stressed that such documentation is essential for the rent control authority to monitor and address unlawful and unfair rent and hostel charges.
He reiterated that the rent control authority has the responsibility to regulate, supervise, and ensure that private hostel operators conduct their activities lawfully. Section 2 of the Rent Act mandates the Commissioner to enforce these laws, and Mr Opoku urged landlords and hostel operators to comply to avoid legal repercussions.
Furthermore, Mr Opoku appealed to the government to establish affordable housing facilities for university students, aiming to curb the exorbitant charges imposed by private hostel operators.