The Voice of Landlords Association, Ghana (VOLAG) is demanding a clear legal basis for the Rent Control Department’s directive requiring landlords to provide evidence of rent-card compliance before accessing certain services.
This comes after Acting Rent Commissioner Frederick Opoku issued a directive on August 10, 2026, requiring landlords to register tenancy and property records by November 30, 2026.
The directive also instructed hostel operators to comply with applicable rent-card, tenancy registration and record-keeping requirements from the 2026/2027 academic year.
But in a petition submitted on Thursday, September 18 [confirm date] to the Ministries of Works, Housing and Water Resources, and Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, and the office of the Attorney-General, VOLAG asked for clarification on the legal authority underpinning the directive.
The landlords want to know the specific law, regulation or legal instrument that empowers the Rent Control Department to defer or deny services to landlords who fail to meet the requirements.
The association also demanded clarity on how non-compliance would be determined, the services that could be denied, and the appeal process available to affected landlords.
It also called for the Rent Control Department’s revenue collection practices to be audited, citing complaints about the non-issuance of official receipts and alleged irregular or unapproved charges.
The association further demanded publication of the approved Rent Control fee schedule, including the legal basis and approved amounts for all charges.
It also demanded a nationwide audit of Rent and Housing Committees established under PNDCL 138, citing concerns about whether the committees have been properly constituted and are operational across the country.
For the association, landlords should not be penalised for failing to comply with obligations that depend on committees that have not been legally constituted or are not operational.
“Landlords and tenants need peace, fairness, and lawful regulation, not public confrontation,” the association said.
VOLAG said though it supported lawful tenant protection, landlords were also citizens, investors, taxpayers and housing providers who should be allowed to recoup their investments and earn a fair return.
It called on public institutions to educate both landlords and tenants fairly and ensure that enforcement actions are backed by law, approved fees, official receipts and due process.
