Acting Rent Commissioner Frederick Opoku has criticised the growing practice of landlords charging rent in US dollars in Ghana, questioning why tenants are being forced to pay in foreign currency despite earning in cedis.
Speaking during an interview, Mr. Opoku described the trend as unlawful and blamed weak enforcement for the increasing dollarisation within the country’s rental sector.
“Are we in America?” he asked during the discussion, in comments that have since sparked widespread debate online.
According to him, Ghana’s legal tender remains the cedi, and ordinary domestic transactions, including rent payments, are not supposed to be conducted in dollars without proper authorisation.
“Do we spend dollars in Ghana? No. Therefore, that’s where the lawlessness comes,” he stated.
Mr. Opoku expressed concern over the burden the practice places on tenants, especially at a time when many Ghanaians are already struggling with the high cost of living, rising utility bills, and increasing accommodation costs.
He noted that many landlords now advertise apartments and houses in dollars, particularly in urban centres and upscale communities, making housing increasingly unaffordable for ordinary citizens whose salaries are paid in cedis.
The Acting Rent Commissioner further warned that pricing rent in foreign currency undermines confidence in the Ghana cedi and contributes to economic pressure on tenants.
