“Our findings were alarming and harmful” — Rent Control highlights concerns over exploitation in the hostel accommodation industry

Students and parents are experiencing worsening living conditions near Ghana’s tertiary institutions, with authorities warning of widespread rent irregularities and unsafe hostel practices. The Acting Rent Commissioner, Frederick Opoku, says recent scrutiny of the area near major university campuses has uncovered “scary and damaging” violations of rental regulations, such as overpriced rents and overcrowded accommodation.

While speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday (11 May), he stated that the Rent Control Directorate responded after students filed petitions that alleged exploitative hostel properties. “We got petitions from students and we thought we wanted to go into the field. What we discovered was scary and damaging,” he said. Some of the hostel operators, he said, were charging excessive fees without passing a legal requirement that businesses pass the rent assessment process. “Increasing rent takes application and assessment. That was not being met,” he explained. He also expressed concern about rooms that were packed full of people, pointing out that four students were living in extremely tiny rooms, paying very high fees for a spot.

Opoku said the results indicate landlords and operators are using the high demand that pervades places like the University of Ghana and the University of Professional Studies, Accra. “As much as demand is part of the picture, existing rent laws prohibit any arbitrary inflationary behavior, without assessing the state of reality,” he said. “People are taking advantage of demand. But under law, it has assessment processes prior to any increase,” he said. The Rent Control Directorate is now working with institutions to strengthen compliance processes and monitor, especially private hostels, according to the agency.

Editor:

Obiri-Yeboah