A petition has been submitted to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Works and Housing, calling for urgent reforms to Ghana’s Rent Act, Act 220 of 1963, and related housing policy instruments.
The petition raises concerns over what it describes as excessive rent advance demands and rapidly increasing monthly rent costs, which it says operate without clear ceilings or effective regulatory oversight.
Signed by residents and concerned citizens, the petition highlights what it terms widespread exploitation and inequality within the current rental system. “Tenants are forced to pay advances up to two or three years, while apartment costs rise unchecked, even in substandard housing,” the petition states.
The petitioners are calling for a National Rent Cost Reset Initiative, amendments to the Rent Act, the introduction of a tiered rent ceiling system, and the strengthening of the powers of Rent Control Officers. They also advocate the expansion of affordable housing options and the introduction of rent to own schemes.
The petition was submitted by Emmanuel Ewoenam Yao Adzome, Assembly Member for the Ho Central Electoral Area, and Isaac Tetteh Kwami Asase, Unit Committee Chairman in the Ho Municipality. It proposes a nationwide reassessment and reset of monthly rent benchmarks based on property type, zoning, and occupancy levels, in collaboration with the Ghana Statistical Service to produce periodic district level rent indices.
The petitioners further seek to reinforce the existing six month rent advance limit and reduce it to a maximum of one month advance for all monthly tenancy contracts. They are also calling for clearly defined penalties for landlords who violate the policy.
In addition, the petition proposes a tiered monthly rent ceiling based on apartment type, location category, property age, and infrastructure condition, with adjustments made every two years using inflation and market data.
The petition also demands a clear legal mandate for Rent Control Officers to investigate and sanction rent abuses without first resorting to court action, including the authority to reverse exploitative rent contracts and issue compliance directives.
The petitioners believe the proposed measures will help restore balance, affordability, and dignity to Ghana’s housing sector, particularly for low and middle income earners, and have urged government to act swiftly to address what they describe as a growing housing crisis.
