The Rent Commissioner of Ghana Rent Control Department, Frederick Opoku, has defended the Rent Control Department’s ongoing regulation of hostel accommodation fees, insisting that its actions are guided by the Rent Act and not public sentiment.
In exclusive interview with YFM, he made reference to a July 1 stakeholder meeting with private hostel operators, student representatives, and other key players, where both sides agreed to continue engagements while the Department undertakes professional valuation of hostel facilities.
According to Mr. Opoku, the section of hostel facility owners presented a proposal to halt all operations on hostel facilities until they form a structured association to formally engage the Ghana Rent Control Department. “The mandate of the Ghana Rent Control Department is to assess facilities before they can increase rent or demand for more fees. It was a matter of law not based on feelings. I thought hostel operations as big business and as a big deal should have an association to work with. They requested for a month to set up an association but how does that period given affect what we do; we are assessing you individually and not by association.”
Until the assessment is completed, operators have been directed to suspend any planned fee increases for the 2026/2027 academic year as authorities work toward a fair and lawful pricing framework.