Ketu North Member of Parliament, Eric Edem Agbana
The Member of Parliament of Ketu North, Eric Edem Agbana has described Ghana’s rental system as burdensome and unregulated.
Speaking exclusively to GhanaWeb TV’s George Ayisi, he lamented the difficulty in finding landlords willing to accept rent advances for six months or less.
“Today, how many people are ready to rent their properties for you to pay six months or less? Everybody is looking for one year, two years and in some instances even five years. To get a one-year rent advance, which is even a clear violation of the law, [is difficult]… and we must have the system doing something about it. We have to do something about it,” he remarked.
He expressed frustration over the financial strain the rental regime imposes on tenants.
“If you’re looking for a single room as a young National Service Personnel or as a student or a young graduate, you are likely to pay between GH₵100 and GH₵1500, when your National Service allowance is just GH₵715, which will be for a month. And so, it means that you need double or more than double your allowance to even pay for rent,” he added.
He further quizzed, “What happens to feeding, what happens to transportation? And so, the rent regime here is very problematic because of the exorbitant charges within the sector.”
Beyond the financial burden, he pointed out how weak enforcement of rent laws leave tenants vulnerable to exploitation.
“How many people are ready to rent their properties for you to pay six months or less? Everybody is looking for one year, two years and in some instances even five years, which is even a clear violation of the law that is virtually not in existence. And we must have the system doing something about it. We have to do something about it, because this rent advance of one year, two years, how are you able to pay GH¢5,000 a month for 36 months, which is three years, 24 months which is two years?
“Where would the average Ghanaian like me, like young graduates, where would they get the money to pay for that? It is really difficult to afford that. So, that also must be worked on. There are virtually no regulations for the sector even when there are disputes,” he added.
Edem Agbana urged all stakeholders to take immediate actions to reform the rent system and bridge the housing deficit, insisting that without concrete measures, housing will remain inaccessible for the average Ghanaian.
JKB/WB
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