Tenants urged to obtain rent cards for optimal service delivery

The Koforidua Office of the Department of Rent Control has advised tenants to obtain tenancy agreement papers and rent receipts from prospective landlords to help them acquire rent cards for optimal service delivery.

“Receipts of rental payment help you avoid disputes because they act as proof, and the rent card captures the details of the tenants and landlords, the premises and the tenancy, and the monthly recoverable rent,” Mr Isaac Okraku Asamani, the Rent Officer, told the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday.

He said the lease agreement, which included rules for the property being inhabited, should be in accordance with Ghana’s Rent Act and prepared by the landlord together with the prospective tenant.

He recommended that people sought help from the rent control office on any issue of concern adding that the Department worked with landlords and renters to achieve a peaceful coexistence.

The Department has offices at Nkawkaw, Kyebi, Nsawam, Asamankese, Akim Oda, Koforidua, and Odumase Krobo.

The office, between January and July 2022, received 323 cases, with 215 being landlord reports and 108 tenant reports, Mr Asamani said, and that the officers applied the Rent Act to remedy those issues, but 29 cases were still unresolved.

“We’ve been recording cases where landlords lock up their tenants, and that is unlawful. If there’s any disagreement, no landlord nor tenant has the power to take the law into their own hands and act in an unlawful manner,” he said.

He indicated that those cases beyond the control of the office were forwarded to the Rent Magistrate for settlement.

Source: GNA