Rent control to deploy uniformed task force to enforce rental laws nationwide

• The Rent Control Department will deploy a uniformed task force nationwide to strengthen enforcement of Ghana’s rental laws and improve compliance among landlords.

• Acting Rent Commissioner Frederick Opoku says the task force, comprising the Police, GRA, Immigration, and Rent Control officials, will conduct inspections, including on weekends.

• The enforcement drive will target houses, hostels, containers, stores, and high-rise buildings, as authorities intensify efforts to curb illegal rent practices and protect tenants.

The Rent Control Department has announced plans to deploy a uniformed task force across the country to strengthen enforcement of rental regulations and improve compliance among landlords and property operators.

READ ALSO: Landlords can inspect tenants’ rooms anytime they want – Rent Control boss, Frederick Opoku

Acting Rent Commissioner Frederick Opoku Frederick Opoku disclosed the move during a media engagement, indicating that the initiative forms part of ongoing efforts to restore order and accountability in Ghana’s housing sector.

READ ALSO: ‘SSNIT must bow their heads in shame’ – Rent Control boss fumes over Pent hostel prices

According to him, the task force will help ensure strict adherence to tenancy laws, resolve rental disputes, and crack down on unlawful rental practices, including illegal rent advances and unregistered tenancy arrangements.

Mr. Opoku noted that the task force will operate through a multi-agency collaboration involving the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Revenue Authority, immigration authorities, and the Rent Control Department.

He indicated that landlords who continue to ignore the law should expect direct enforcement actions, including weekend inspections.

The Acting Commissioner added that the enforcement exercise will cover all forms of rental accommodation, including residential homes, student hostels, rented containers, commercial stores, and high-rise buildings.

READ ALSO: Landlord can't give 3-month grace period before evicting you; “It’s not in our laws” - Rent Control Department

This comes amid growing concerns over rising rent costs and widespread breaches of Ghana’s rent laws, where tenants often face demands for one to two years’ rent advance despite legal limits.

Under Ghana’s Rent Act, 1963 (Act 220), landlords are prohibited from demanding more than six months’ rent advance, yet the practice remains common. 

The department has also recently directed private hostel operators to suspend planned fee increases for the 2026/2027 academic year pending regulatory review, as part of broader efforts to protect tenants from arbitrary pricing.

Mr. Opoku said the task force represents a shift from public education to active enforcement, stressing that landlords and property owners who fail to regularise their operations risk sanctions under the law.