Rent Control cracks whip on hostel owners over ‘exploitative’ fee hikes

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The Rent Control Department says it is tightening its grip on hostel operators accused of imposing arbitrary and burdensome accommodation charges on students across the country.
Acting Rent Commissioner Fredrick Opoku defended the ongoing clampdown, insisting the exercise is not an attack on private investors but a necessary intervention to stop what many students and parents describe as unchecked exploitation in the hostel sector.
Speaking on Channel One TV, Mr. Opoku said authorities can no longer sit unconcerned while hostel owners continue to pile pressure on struggling families through steep and often unjustified rent increments.
According to him, the government is determined to restore sanity to the student accommodation market through stricter monitoring and enforcement of existing rent regulations.
“Students across the country are suffering, parents across the country are suffering, and the government is determined to see this problem resolved,” he stressed, adding that the department would not resort to “Rambo-style or gorilla means” but would pursue a structured and aggressive engagement process.
The Rent Control Department has already begun surprise inspections at hostels around University of Professional Studies, Accra and University of Ghana following complaints of unlawful and excessive fee increases.
Mr. Opoku warned hostel operators against imposing arbitrary charges without prior consultation with the department, stressing that authorities will intensify nationwide inspections and pricing assessments through the end of the year.
He maintained that while investors deserve returns on their properties, students should not be treated as easy targets for profiteering amid worsening economic hardship.
“This is about fairness and building a better Ghana for everyone,” he stated, while urging landlords and hostel owners to comply with the law or risk facing sanctions.