The proposed rent bill seeks to address gaps in the existing law and ensure strict compliance, the Upper East Regional Officer for the Rent Control Department, Adam Yaminu, has explained.
According to him, enforcement of the current rent law has been challenging due to loopholes in the law. This, he said, has allowed particularly property owners to exploit housing seekers.
He cited the widespread disregard of the provision of the law that prohibits house owners from demanding and collecting more than 6 months’ rent in advance as an example.
Mr. Adam Yaminu indicated that the new bill, if passed into law, will make it mandatory for property owners to register their properties with the Rent Control before they can put them out for rent. He explained that although homeowners are expected to register their property with the Rent Control under the current law, it is not mandatory.
As a result, many property owners do not comply, making it difficult for assessment by the Department to ensure properties meet rent standards before they’re let out, he saID.
“Currently what is in Act 220 is like it gives the landlords or landladies the leeway to either apply or do it their own way, but the new bill that is currently pending in Parliament is going to make it a duty bound for every landlord or landlady; once you want to rent out your premises, you must come to rent control and register your premises. Then, after registration, we will do a compulsory assessment of the premises so that we come out with the rent for that particular premise,” he explained.
Once registered, property owners will be required to inform the Department for reassessment before an increment could be effected, he further explained.
“When there’s going to be any increment, the landlord or landlady will have to get back to rent control for us to do an assessment again to see whether what he or she is demanding can be granted or not.”
The proposed bill, he added, will also ensure strict compliance with rent tax.
Mr. Yaminu is hopeful that the department will equally be resourced to strictly enforce the law once the bill is passed.
He assured the public that the bill, if passed into law, will protect every stakeholder’s interest.
The regional officer for the Rent Control Department was speaking Wednesday on the proposed bill set to be laid before Parliament by the Mahama administration.
The bill is among 600 bills the administration will be seeking parliamentary approval for, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga told the press.
