Report landlords charging 2 years rent advance – Mahama urges tenants
President John Dramani Mahama has urged tenants to report landlords who demand rent advances beyond the legal limit, calling for stricter enforcement to prevent exploitation in the housing sector.
Speaking at a dialogue with Organised Labour at the Jubilee House in Accra on Tuesday, March 17, the President highlighted that rising housing costs are placing a heavy financial burden on households, making affordable accommodation increasingly out of reach.
“Housing is a major challenge, consuming a large part of household income. We need a national housing dialogue to bring together the private sector, government, and labour to develop a social housing policy that ensures affordable housing for workers, either through mortgages or reasonably priced rentals,” he said.
President Mahama linked the surge in excessive rent demands to the country’s housing deficit, noting that some landlords are exploiting the shortage by imposing illegal charges on tenants.
“The reason private landlords take advantage is because of the housing deficit. We have a rent court and the law says no more than six months’ rent advance, but often neither the tenant nor the landlord is willing to go to the rent court,” he explained.
He encouraged tenants to report such cases to the rent court, assuring that landlords who break the law would face consequences. “You can report them to the rent court, and we will hold the landlord accountable,” he emphasised.
His comments come amid growing public concern over landlords demanding up to two years’ rent in advance, a practice widely criticised as exploitative and illegal.
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