Police arrest landlady for forcibly ejecting student-tenants  

The Police in Sunyani on Tuesday arrested Madam Jackline Denline, a landlady for forcible ejection of two female Senior High School Students (SHS) tenants of her house at Nkwabeng, a suburb of Sunyani.

Mad. Denline locked out the tenants who are students of the Twene Amanfo Senior High/Technical School (TASTECH) had rented a room in her house, located within the central business of Sunyani.

The landlady complained of sickness upon her arrest and was therefore granted bail to report at the Regional Rent Control Department (RCD) office on Thursday for further investigations.

Mr. Ishmael Kojo Blay Essien, the RCD Manager for Brong-Ahafo, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Friday in Sunyani that, the students had rented the room for a year and the landlady instructed them to move out because their rent rate was due.

The students, Konadu Yakubu and Augustina Oduro returned from School on Tuesday and found out that their room had been locked by the landlady, thus denying them access to the place.

He said the students lodged a complaint at the RCD office and the matter was consequently reported to the Sunyani Municipal Police who proceeded to arrest Mad. Denline.

Mr. Essien described the action of the landlady as illegal since it was only the RCD that had the authority to eject a tenant after thorough investigations.

He said since Mad. Denline, as a first time offender, was made to sign a bond of good behaviour and also charged to ensure the safety of the students  for the next  24 months in accordance with the Rent Act, whilst they continued to live in that room.

Mr. Essien advised landlords/landladies to abide by the provisions of the Rent Act or where necessary consult any nearby office of RCD for advice for peaceful co-existence between them and tenants.

Source: GNA