Emmanuel Xove Kporsu, Senior Rent Officer and Head of Public Relations at the Rent Control Department, has linked the surge in rent prices in Ghana to unchecked activities by agents. During an appearance on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Friday, November 21, Mr. Kporsu explained that certain agents and brokers are disrupting the rental market, resulting in tenants paying much more than necessary.
He noted that the Real Estate Agency Act, enacted in 2020, along with a recent stakeholder engagement in October, aims to bring order to the industry by regulating agent fees and practices. Mr. Kporsu added that a council has already been set up to oversee the law’s enforcement.
Mr Kporsu noted that under the new framework, the council will prescribe approved fees for anyone operating as an agent or broker, issue licences and certificates, and ensure only qualified persons operate within the space. “You cannot sit under a tree and call yourself an agent. It is an offence to call yourself an agent if you do not have your licence. The space will be regulated,” he stressed.
He further linked high rental charges to collusion between landlords and unregistered agents, explaining that although the law prohibits landlords from demanding more than six months’ rent advance, some agents influence landlords to request as much as two years.
“The agent is a contributor to the high rent in Ghana. The law says the landlord does not have the right to demand more than six months’ rent advance, but the tenant has the right to pay more than six months. “The issue is that the agent colludes with the landlord to demand two years because they feel their fees are small if they take only six months,” he said.
Source: Patricia Boakye
