The Rent Control Department (RCD) of Ghana has issued a directive to the University of Ghana Enterprises Limited (UGEL) and private hostel owners and operators to immediately suspend rental increases that have not undergone the legally prescribed assessment process. This move follows a petition submitted by the University of Ghana Students’ Representative Council (UGSRC), which requested a review of proposed accommodation charges introduced by UGEL. The directive, issued on November 2, 2026, instructs affected accommodation providers to reinstate their previous rental charges.
The RCD's intervention extends beyond the university’s accommodation facilities to cover private hostel proprietors and operators across the country. The Department emphasised that privately operated hostels and other student accommodation facilities that fall within the jurisdiction of Ghana’s rent legislation remain subject to its regulatory authority. This means that describing a property as a student hostel or private accommodation establishment does not automatically exempt its owner or operator from complying with the country’s rent control laws.
The directive instructs accommodation providers to retain their previous rental charges until the necessary assessments and statutory procedures governing rent adjustments have been completed. Beyond suspending the disputed increases, the Department has directed accommodation providers to reimburse tenants for the additional amounts collected as a consequence of the revised rental charges. The refund exercise is scheduled to take place between November 3 and November 17, 2026.
During the refund period, affected operators are expected to identify tenants who have paid the increased rates, establish the excess amounts received and provide documentary evidence demonstrating that the required reimbursements have been made. The Department clarified that the refund obligation is limited to the difference between the previous rental charges and the increased amounts actually paid by tenants. This exercise does not cover rent lawfully payable under earlier tenancy arrangements or separate legitimate charges that are unrelated to the disputed increases.
The RCD has also cautioned hostel proprietors and accommodation managers against intimidating, threatening, harassing or victimising tenants who challenge increased rental charges, demand reimbursement or report suspected breaches of the law. The Department warned operators against threatening tenants with eviction, withholding accommodation or employing other unlawful measures to pressure residents into accepting rental adjustments that have not received the necessary assessment or abandoning legitimate complaints.
To ensure compliance, the Department has announced plans to undertake inspections, scrutinise tenancy agreements and payment records, authenticate refund transactions and investigate complaints submitted by affected occupants. The enforcement exercise will be guided by provisions of the Rent Act, 1963 (Act 220). The Department warned that accommodation providers found to have breached the applicable legal requirements could face sanctions prescribed under the legislation.
The directive applies to UGEL, university affiliated residential facilities and independently operated private hostels throughout Ghana, provided their accommodation arrangements fall within the scope of the country’s applicable rent control laws. The notice was signed by Acting Rent Commissioner Frederick Opoku and issued by Sylvia Kenou, Head of the Corporate Affairs and Communications Unit of the Rent Control Department.
Key points
- The Rent Control Department has ordered UGEL and private hostel operators to reverse unapproved rent increases and refund students by November 17.
- The directive applies to all accommodation providers in Ghana, including UGEL, university affiliated residential facilities and privately operated hostels.
- The Department will undertake inspections and investigate complaints to ensure compliance with the directive.
