Accra-Ghana, Aug. 10, GNA – The Rent Control Department (RCD) received 20,080 complaints from tenants and property owners in 2022.
According to the Department’s data, 16,124 of the complaints were resolved, while 1,819 remained pending resolution.
The number of cases withdrawn was 402, while those dismissed were 1100 and those referred to court were 635.
Landlords filed 10,712 of the total cases, while tenants filed 9,368.
Regionally, the Greater Accra area led the way with 8,089 recorded cases, followed by the Ashanti and Central regions with 4,473 and 2,361 instances, respectively.
The Western region recorded 1,222, Eastern, 1,673, Volta, 754, Bono, 473, Bono East, 314 and Upper East 189.
The Western North Region recorded 161 cases, the Northern Region had 126, the Upper West received 120, Ahafo reported 80, and Oti had 45.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Emmanuel Hovey Kporsu, Public Relations Officer (PRO), RCD, stated that most tenants and landlords are ignorant of their rights and obligations regarding rent issues.
He noted that one of the concerns the RCD faced daily was a lack of understanding about renting issues.
“Most Ghanaians do not know their rights and responsibilities as far as rental issues are concerned. There are some basic rights and basic responsibilities that landlords and tenants should know.
“The only challenge we have is the understanding of their rights and responsibilities. If you know your rights and responsibility, the other party will not trample on your fundamental human rights.
“We are in a human society so definitely there will be dispute but if you know your right or your responsibility, it will minimize it. But because most of the landlords and tenants do not know their responsibility, they tend to run to the RCD with every issue,” Mr Kporsu said.
According to the PRO, the RCD is doing everything it can to address the defect by conducting sensitization and educational initiatives aimed at promoting cordial relations between landlords and tenants.
“At the end of the day, you will be satisfied if you can make the parties understand themselves; if you can reconcile the parties; if you can bring peace between the two parties.
“So, for us to achieve our objective, we are sensitizing people on renting issues,” he said.
Mr. Kporsu stated that the Department lacked the means to initiate large-scale education and sensitization campaigns, and therefore relied on invitations from entities in need of the information.
He thus urged homeowners, churches, business groups, and institutions that desire to learn more about renting difficulties to always contact the RCD.
He also urged that consumers take responsibility for educating themselves on rental issues to reduce the RCD’s burden.
