Accra: President John Dramani Mahama has cautioned landlords against defying rent advance regulations, stressing that such practices exploit individuals who are unable to afford excessive demands.
According to Ghana Web, enforcement agencies are working to clamp down on landlords who charge rent advances beyond six months in order to curb unfair practices in the housing sector. However, President Mahama lamented that many victims of rent advance abuse fail to report such cases, making it difficult for the courts to prosecute offenders.
Addressing the issue at a sod-cutting ceremony for the Green City Project at Dedesua in the Ashanti Region, President Mahama emphasised that the government is determined to enforce the regulations but requires public support to make them effective. 'We have a rent court that is supposed to prosecute cases where house owners take more than six months' rent in advance. Unfortunately, both the house owner and the prospective tenant are often unwilling to report such cases,' he noted.
The Acting Rent Commissioner, Frederick Opoku, has also taken steps to address exorbitant fees charged by hostels on various university campuses, aiming to curb the frequent increases that burden students and their parents.