The Acting Rent Commissioner, Mr. Frederick Opoku, has announced the nationwide rollout of a Rent Taskforce to ensure strict compliance with Ghana’s rent laws and promote fairness between landlords and tenants.

According to Mr. Opoku, the taskforce will be responsible for enforcing regulations governing the rent sector, including the registration of tenancy agreements and monitoring of rentable properties, as well as ensuring the payment of taxes on rental income.

He explained that members of the taskforce will be identifiable by yellow uniforms and will be deployed across the country in collaboration with the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

Mr. Opoku made the announcement during an interview on the Ghana Yensom morning show hosted by Chief Jerry Forson on Accra 100.5 FM on Wednesday, February 4.

He stressed that rent administration in Ghana is regulated by law and that all property owners who wish to rent out their properties must comply with the established legal framework.

He noted that it is an offence for a landlord to rent out a property without issuing a tenancy agreement to the tenant.

He further explained that tenants also commit an offence by failing to demand a tenancy agreement, describing it as a case of abetment under the law.

The Acting Rent Commissioner called on property owners to register their tenancy agreements with the Rent Control Commission to enable the issuance of tenancy cards to both landlords and tenants.

He also warned against the collection of more than six months’ rent in advance, describing the practice as illegal and punishable by law.

Mr. Opoku disclosed that about 60 percent of tenants occupying rentable properties across the country currently do not have tenancy agreements.

He emphasised that demanding and issuing tenancy agreements is a legal right and obligation that must be upheld under the Rent Control Acta, adding that providing a tenancy agreement is mandatory, not optional.

On taxation, Mr. Opoku said the era of collecting rent without paying the required taxes was over.

He noted that the Rent Commission would work closely with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to ensure full compliance. According to him, rental income from residential properties attracts an eight percent tax, while commercial properties are taxed at 15 percent.

He clarified that these tax provisions are not new, explaining that they have existed since the era of Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Mr. Opoku added that the renewed enforcement drive underscores the need for effective regulation of the rent sector, noting that the appointment of a Rent Commissioner by President John Dramani Mahama was a deliberate move to sanitise and streamline the rental space in the country.