The government has announced plans to reform Ghana’s rent laws as part of efforts to protect tenants from exploitation and create a more balanced rental housing system.
The Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, disclosed this on the floor of Parliament while responding to an urgent question concerning challenges in the country’s rental sector.
According to the minister, the government has begun a comprehensive review of the existing rent regulatory framework, which he described as outdated and no longer suitable for the realities of Ghana’s growing housing market.
The minister explained that the current rent laws have failed to adequately address many of the challenges facing both tenants and landlords. As a result, the government intends to repeal the existing legislation and replace it with a new Consolidated Rent Act.
He said the proposed law will bring together all rental housing regulations under a single legal framework, making the system more effective and easier to enforce.
The minister noted that the new legislation is expected to tackle long-standing problems in the rental sector, including arbitrary rent increases, unfair rental practices and other forms of abuse experienced by tenants.
He added that the reforms will also provide stronger protection for low-income and vulnerable renters.
At the same time, Mr Adjei stressed that the proposed law would take into account the interests of landlords and introduce measures to encourage greater private sector investment in rental housing.
Addressing concerns about the difficulties tenants currently face before the new law is passed, the minister acknowledged the challenges and said the government’s ongoing legislative reforms are aimed at providing a comprehensive and lasting solution.
He expressed confidence that the proposed reforms would help create a fairer, more transparent and more efficient rental housing system for all stakeholders.
The planned overhaul forms part of the government’s broader efforts to improve housing conditions and address persistent issues within Ghana’s rental market.
