Tenants must report landlords demanding two years’ rent advance – Mahama

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Makay
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President John Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has urged tenants to report landlords who are demanding two years’ rent in advance.

According to President Mahama, the rising housing costs continue to place a heavy burden on households, adding that access to affordable accommodation is increasingly difficult.

Mahama encouraged tenants to take decisive action by reporting such cases to the rent court, ensuring that offenders would be held accountable.

Speaking during a dialogue with Organised Labour at the Jubilee House in Accra on Tuesday, March 17, stated, “Housing is a major problem, and for households, it is consuming their income. We need to have a national housing dialogue and decide how, between the private sector, government, and labour, we can come together and come up with a social housing policy to make sure that we provide affordable housing for workers to purchase on a mortgage or to be able to rent at a favourable cost,” he stated.

“The reason why the private house owners are taking advantage is because of the deficit in housing. We have the rent court, and we say do not take more than six months of rent advance, but the one who is renting and the house owner are both not prepared to go to the rent court,” he added.

“You can go and report him to the rent court, and we will hold that landlord accountable,” he emphasised.

Some Ghanaians reacting to President Mahama’s remarks stated, “While you’re in the process of reporting then you’re packing your stuff out simultaneously. Mahama should come and face us, the landlords directly. Siasem”.

“The rent control seems not to find its way to what they do.

Just enrol a system that requires both landlords and tenants to sign a contract renewed at the end of every six months. Without that contract, RC can evict the tenant and prosecute the Landlord”, a netizen added.

“Good call, but unless affordable state housing with monthly payments exists, private landlords won’t comply”, another X user added.

“In thy goodness, like this be good, but my question here is, what have you guys built for the citizens to occupy, rent or buy.

The madness of property owners makes somebody sleep outside. This is what an employee of Rent Control had to say”, an X user added.

One netizen added, “Report them to whom? See, water always finds its level. Most of them have stopped demanding 2 years rent, you know why..? Fewer can afford that these days”.

In related news, Reports detailed that some Ashaiman Landlords and Caretakers have been allegedly fingered for demanding sexual favours from female tenants as rent payments.

The information gathered from the Ashaiman Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Centre discloses this disturbing trend.

According to the report, the findings paint a glaring exploitation within the rental market against vulnerable women searching for accommodations.

The report alleged that landlords enter into informal arrangements with female tenants, accepting sex instead of money for rent for specified periods.

Additionally, caretakers have also been fingered in the development.

In a new story shared by the Herald, it read, “One case detailed in the report involved a caretaker who rented out a room to a woman while the property owner was away. After her initial two-year tenancy expired, the caretaker allegedly began a sexual relationship with her and verbally extended her stay by an additional year. The arrangement was reportedly extended again while the relationship continued.

Complications arose when the woman became pregnant by another man. Following the breakdown of the relationship, the caretaker ordered her to vacate the premises. She resisted, insisting there had been a prior agreement allowing her to remain for two more years.

The matter was referred to mediators. During proceedings, the caretaker admitted he was not the property owner and explained that the landlord had instructed him to reclaim the room. The ADR Centre facilitated a settlement, leading to the woman’s relocation after she received compensation from the caretaker”.

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