Mahama urges tenants to report Landlords demanding 2 years’ rent advance

President John Dramani Mahama has urged tenants to report landlords who demand more than the legally permitted rent advance, calling for stricter enforcement to protect tenants from exploitation.

Speaking during a dialogue with Organised Labour at Jubilee House in Accra on Tuesday, March 17, the President highlighted the heavy burden rising housing costs place on households, making affordable accommodation increasingly difficult to secure.

“Housing is a major problem, consuming a large part of household incomes. We need a national housing dialogue to bring together the private sector, government, and labour to develop a social housing policy that ensures workers can access affordable housing, either through mortgages or reasonably priced rentals,” he said.

President Mahama noted that some landlords are taking advantage of the country’s housing deficit to impose unlawful rent demands. “The reason private house owners exploit tenants is the deficit in housing. We have the rent court, which limits advance rent to six months, but both tenants and landlords are often unwilling to take cases there,” he explained.

He encouraged tenants to take action by reporting violators to the rent court, assuring that offenders would be held accountable. “You can report them to the rent court, and we will ensure the landlord is held responsible,” he added.

The President’s remarks come amid rising public concern over landlords demanding up to two years’ rent in advance, a practice widely criticised as illegal and exploitative.