John Awuni, Chairman of the Food and Beverages Association of Ghana (FABAG), has called for a national dialogue on Ghana’s escalating rent situation, which he described as unreasonable and lacking proper justification.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, April 10, 2025, Awuni expressed concern over the arbitrary nature of rent increases in the country, contrasting it with more structured systems in countries like the United States.
“Rent has to be a national discussion. Because it is increased anyway for no reason. If you rent in the US, the US landlord does not just increase prices like that. In there, you pay your rent monthly, so if you are to pay $200, that is what you will be paying for so many years,” he said.
Awuni criticised local rental practices, where landlords often hike prices significantly at the end of lease agreements without justification.
“In our case, it is different. You get a 2-bedroom for Ghc2,000, depending on the area. Once your rent expires, the landlord just increases it to Ghc3,000. On what basis does the landlord do that? If you say you don’t want it, you are ejected with the claim that somebody else wants to take it. And most especially, you get a lot of Nigerians in the country, and they are ready to take rent at any price, and they see that as an open market for the landlords,” he stated.
He stressed that the unchecked rent hikes are placing a heavy burden on many Ghanaians and urged the government to intervene.
“So, it must be a national conversation. The eyes of the government must come to that,” he added.