Renting in Ghana: the rules

Tenancy law in Ghana is national. The Rent Act 1963 (Act 220) applies to all premises in Ghana, with a few exceptions: housing the Government lets to public officers because of their job, leases of bare land, some concession and Government leases, market stalls owned by a district assembly, and 'premises' let with board or attendance, such as a hotel room (s1(2) and s36). A 'lease' under the Act includes any agreement to let, oral or written (s36), so a tenancy exists without a signed document. Market facts, such as rents and where to look, are on the city pages.

In practice tenancy agreements are written, often by a lawyer or the agent, and for a fixed term of one or two years that matches the rent paid in advance. Two newer rules matter for written agreements. First, where a licensed broker handles a letting of one year or more, the Real Estate Agency Act 2020 (Act 1047) requires the broker to prepare a lease agreement and give each side a copy, and payment must be by bank draft, cheque, bank transfer or electronic money transfer, never cash (s1, s44 and s45). Second, a lease is a document that attracts stamp duty under the Stamp Duty Act 2005 (Act 689); the Ghana Revenue Authority says an unstamped or insufficiently stamped document cannot be admitted in evidence in a Ghanaian court (GRA, as of 2026-10). Stamp duty is covered under 'For landlords'.

Registration with the Rent Control Department: the Rent Control Law 1986 (PNDCL 138) requires the landlord of residential accommodation covered by that law to register each lease or tenancy agreement within 14 days and not to collect rent until it is registered (s4). On 10 August 2026 the Department gave landlords until 30 November 2026 to regularise the registration of their tenancies and property records, and said it may refuse its services to landlords who have not (Rent Control Department statement, as reported by MyJoyOnline and the Ghanaian Times, August 2026). It also urged tenants to register their agreements. Pending: a new consolidated Rent Act to replace Act 220 and PNDCL 138. The Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources told Parliament on 26 June 2026 that the draft was at an advanced stage and would go to Cabinet and then to Parliament; as of 2026-10 we found no record that it has been laid, so the 1963 and 1986 laws still apply.

The big upfront cost in Ghana is rent in advance, not a deposit. Landlords commonly ask for one or two years' rent before handing over the keys. The law has said otherwise since 1963: anyone who, as a condition of granting, renewing or continuing a tenancy, demands more than one month's rent in advance for a monthly or shorter tenancy, or more than six months' rent in advance for a tenancy of more than six months, commits an offence (Rent Act 1963, s25(5)). The penalty, as amended by PNDCL 138 (s19(2)), is a fine of up to 500 penalty units or up to two years' imprisonment. A penalty unit is GH₵12 (Ghana Revenue Authority, as of 2026-10), so the fine is up to GH₵6,000. The offence is the landlord's or agent's demand; the Act does not make the tenant who pays guilty.

Enforcement has long been weak (a Campus Reporter investigation in January 2025 blamed lax enforcement for agents' illegal fees), and the Department says that is changing in 2026. The acting Rent Commissioner set 1 April 2026 for full enforcement and said landlords who demand more than six months would be prosecuted (Ghanaian Times, 20 March 2026), and in June 2026 urged tenants to gather evidence and report such demands, announced a nationwide enforcement operation and asked the Judicial Service for dedicated rent courts (Graphic Online, 24 June 2026). As of 2026-10 we found no published report of a conviction under s25(5). In practice, then, expect to be asked for a year or more, keep proof of every payment, and know that the demand itself is unlawful.

No law caps or regulates a security or 'caution' deposit, says where it is held or when it must be returned, so put the amount, the deductions allowed and the refund date in the agreement. Note that the Act separately forbids demanding any fine, premium or other payment for the grant, renewal or continuance of a tenancy, and any price above a reasonable one for furniture or fittings a tenant is required to buy (s25(1)(b) and (d)); a non-refundable 'key money' style charge risks falling under that. Guarantors are a matter of agreement. Pending: the Rent Bill that Cabinet approved in November 2022 would have allowed up to one year's rent in advance for tenancies over a year (Ministry statement reported by Graphic Online, 16 November 2022); that bill was never passed, and the content of the 2026 draft has not been published.

On paper Ghana has rent control; in practice the landlord sets the rent. Act 220 is built around a 'recoverable rent': for premises first let after 1 July 1960 it is the rent agreed at the first letting, unless a rent officer or rent magistrate has assessed a different one (s36). A landlord, tenant or anyone interested in the premises can apply to the rent officer for the area to assess the recoverable rent (s5(1)(a) and s10); the officer weighs the rateable value, land value, rates, repair and maintenance costs, rents for similar premises and 'the justice and merits' of the case (s14). Either side can appeal to the district magistrate acting as rent magistrate within seven days (s12). An increase after an assessment takes effect only after one month's written notice (s16), and a landlord may not serve a notice to quit within two years of an assessment unless the lease ends within that time (s23). Demanding more than the recoverable rent is an offence (s25(1)(a)).

The fixed rents in PNDCL 138 are a dead letter: its schedule sets monthly rents for single rooms and 'chamber and hall' units in 1986 cedis, and it does not apply where the rent exceeds 100,000 cedis a month, a 1986 figure in old cedis that is GH₵10 today, nor to lets to companies or for business (s1, s2 and First Schedule). There is no index or percentage cap on increases. The assessment route is still used: in August 2026 the acting Rent Commissioner said the Department had about 100 applications to assess rents at private student hostels under s10 of Act 220 and would complete them within three months (Graphic Online, 19 August 2026); no results had been published as of 2026-10.

Rent is advertised by the month on the big portals, often converted from a US-dollar asking price at the upper end, and landlords then ask for one or two years in advance, beyond the six-month legal limit (see 'Deposits and guarantees'). On 12 May 2026 the acting Rent Commissioner said pricing and collecting rent in dollars is against the law, that the Department had begun talks with the Bank of Ghana to stop it, and that he hoped parts of the Rent Act would be amended by the end of 2026 (Graphic Online); as of 2026-10 neither had produced a published measure. Every payment must be met with a written receipt stating the premises, whether furnished or not, the amount, the period it covers and the tenant's name (s33). For monthly or shorter tenancies the landlord must also issue a rent card within seven days of the tenancy starting (s20), and the Rent Control Department said on 10 August 2026 that from 17 August landlords who cannot show they issue rent cards may be refused its services (as reported by MyJoyOnline).

Ghana's protection against eviction comes from Act 220, s17: no court may order a tenant out except on one of the grounds listed there. These include rent unpaid for one month after it fell due; breach of another term of the tenancy; nuisance or annoyance to neighbours; conviction for using the premises for an illegal or immoral purpose; damage by waste or neglect; the tenant's own notice to quit on which the landlord has relied; the landlord reasonably needing the home for himself, a family member or a full-time employee (refused if that would cause greater hardship to the tenant); and, after the lease has expired, the landlord's own business use, or demolition, remodelling or redevelopment, each needing at least six months' written notice of the intention to go to court (s17(1)(a) to (k)). The court can suspend or postpone the order on conditions (s17(3)). A landlord who recovers a home for own use or business may not re-let it within two years without the magistrate's order (s17(7)).

The end of a fixed term does not by itself end the protection. A tenant who stays on after the tenancy ends and cannot be removed under the Act becomes a 'statutory tenant', holding from month to month on the old terms, and can leave by the notice needed to end a monthly tenancy (s29 and s36). Act 220 does not itself set notice-to-quit periods for periodic tenancies, so the length comes from the agreement or the general law; read the agreement's notice clause before signing. Possession cases go to the district court, whose magistrate acts as rent magistrate under the Act (s36), or to a higher court with jurisdiction (s17(1)), with appeals upwards (s34). Rent officers can also hear landlords' complaints about arrears and refer offences to the magistrate (s5(1)(b) and (h)).

Self-help eviction is an offence. Doing anything, or failing to do what the tenancy requires, with intent to make a tenant give up possession is punishable under Act 220, s27, and the magistrate can order compensation and reinstate the tenant; for residential accommodation covered by PNDCL 138 the same conduct carries a fine of up to 200 penalty units (GH₵2,400) or up to six months' imprisonment (PNDCL 138, s16(1)(d)). Locking a tenant out or cutting off water to force a move are examples. Pending: the new Rent Act promised in June 2026 is meant to address eviction rules; its text is not public as of 2026-10.

Act 220 says little about repairs: the duties to maintain the building, the inside and fixtures are set by the tenancy agreement, and breach of an agreed obligation is a ground for possession against a tenant (s17(1)(b)) as well as a matter a rent officer can investigate on complaint (s5(1)(b)). Rates (property rate charged by the local assembly) are the landlord's unless the lease puts them on the tenant; a landlord who passes on a rates increase must first notify the tenant in writing with the old and new amounts (s19 and s31). A tenant who improves the premises with the landlord's approval and is asked to leave early can be awarded compensation by the rent officer (s21).

Utilities are almost always the tenant's. Most homes have their own electricity meter from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), many of them prepaid, topped up through ECG's app or vendors (ECG, as of 2026-10); where several households share one meter, as in many compound houses, agree in writing how the bill is split. Water is normally the tenant's too, under the agreement. Gated estates and serviced apartments add a service charge for security, cleaning, generators or water, set by the agreement.

Agent's fee: Act 220 makes it an offence for an agent, broker or go-between to demand or receive, for procuring a tenancy, more than 5% of one year's rent (s25(1)(c)). A senior Rent Control official said in January 2025 that this 5% is payable by the landlord, not the person looking for a room; in practice agents commonly ask tenants for 10% of the advance and charge 'viewing fees' of around GH₵70 to GH₵150 just to show a room (Campus Reporter investigation, 22 January 2025), and listings on the portal Meqasa state a 'registration' or viewing fee of GH₵200 to GH₵300 (Meqasa listings, October 2026). The Real Estate Agency Act 2020 lets the Real Estate Agency Council prescribe a scale of fees (s3(p)), but we found no published scale as of 2026-10. A demand above 5% of a year's rent can be reported to the Rent Control Department, and an unlicensed agent to the Real Estate Agency Council.

Ghana has no address register, and nothing like Spain's padrón or Germany's Anmeldung: renting does not trigger any registration by the tenant. (The Rent Control Department's registration of tenancies, described under 'Contracts', is the landlord's duty.) No law lists the documents a landlord may ask for. In practice landlords and agents ask for ID and often proof of income or an employer's letter, because a year or more of rent is changing hands.

The ID that matters is the Ghana Card, issued by the National Identification Authority (NIA). The NIA verifies identity for other institutions and has offices in all 261 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (NIA, as of 2026-10); the National Rental Assistance Scheme, for example, asks applicants for two forms of national ID. Foreign nationals resident in Ghana for at least 90 days in total can register for a Non-Citizen Ghana Card through the NIA's Foreigner Identification Management System, with a birth certificate certified by their embassy among the requirements; diplomats, UN staff and their families are exempt (NIA, as of 2026-10). The Ghana Tourism Authority's short-let registration also asks hosts for a Ghana Card number or tax number (see 'For landlords').

Foreigners who want to live and work in Ghana need a residence permit from the Ghana Immigration Service. The Service issues work and residence permits (through an employer, or under the immigrant quota or Ghana Investment Promotion Centre rules), student and dependant permits, indefinite residence and right of abode (Ghana Immigration Service, as of 2026-10). Expect a landlord or agent to want to see a passport and permit before taking a year's rent.

Act 220 controls subletting in two ways. A tenant on a monthly or shorter tenancy may not sublet without the landlord's written consent (s22(1)). A tenant on a longer tenancy may sublet without consent unless the agreement forbids it, but not for longer than his own tenancy unless agreed in writing (s22(2)). In every case the tenant must tell the landlord in writing within 14 days that he has sublet and on what terms (s22(3)). A sub-tenant counts as a tenant under the Act (s36), and an eviction order against the head tenant does not remove a sub-tenant who was lawfully in before the proceedings began unless the order says so; a sub-tenant who is not removed becomes the landlord's own tenant (s17(5) and (6)). A statutory tenant who asks for a premium to give up the home commits an offence (s28).

No law caps what a tenant may charge a sub-tenant beyond the recoverable-rent rules. The real risk is paying someone with no right to let: a 'caretaker' letting the owner's house while the owner is abroad, a tenant re-letting a home he is about to leave, or a fake agent who rents the same flat to several people. Before paying, ask to see the owner's documents or the landlord's written consent to the sublet, check the agent's licence on the Real Estate Agency Council's register, pay by bank or mobile money into an account in the name on the receipt, and insist on the receipt the law requires (s33). Our scam guide covers the common rental frauds.

To let legally: register each residential tenancy agreement with the Rent Control Department within 14 days (PNDCL 138, s4; the Department set 30 November 2026 as the deadline to regularise existing tenancies); issue a rent card to monthly tenants within seven days (Act 220, s20) and a written receipt for every payment (s33); take no more than six months' rent in advance for a tenancy of over six months, or one month for a monthly tenancy (s25(5), up to 500 penalty units or two years' imprisonment); and recover possession only through the court on a ground in s17. In June 2026 the acting Rent Commissioner announced that all landlords would be given a unique number in a new digital database and that Rent Control offices would not serve unregistered landlords (Graphic Online, 24 June 2026).

Agents: anyone who provides real estate agency services or engages in a real estate transaction, including lettings of one year or more, must hold a licence from the Real Estate Agency Council (REAC); agents must work under a licensed broker (Real Estate Agency Act 2020, s1, s22 and s43). Operating unlicensed is an offence punishable by a fine of 5,000 to 10,000 penalty units (GH₵60,000 to GH₵120,000), five to ten years' imprisonment, or both (s54). REAC's yearly fees are GH₵1,350 for an agent and GH₵2,850 for a broker or property manager, with a GH₵75 rental certificate per letting (REAC, as of 2026-10).

Tax: rental income is taxed at a final rate of 8% of the gross rent for residential premises and 15% for commercial premises, paid to the Ghana Revenue Authority within 30 days of receiving the rent, with interest charged on late payment (GRA, as of 2026-10; PwC, reviewed March 2026). When the tenant is a business that qualifies as a withholding agent, it deducts the tax and pays it over. Leases are among the instruments charged under the Stamp Duty Act 2005 (Act 689); the GRA says ad valorem duty on instruments ranges from 0.25% to 1% of their value (GRA, as of 2026-10). Short lets: in November 2024 the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) introduced registration for short-term rentals listed on platforms such as Airbnb, through its single-window portal, with a provisional six-month licence; hosts need a Ghana Card (fewer listings) or a business registration certificate (four or more listings) and may later be asked for police, fire and environmental-health reports and proof of ownership (GTA press release, 21 November 2024).

The Rent Control Department of the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources is the first stop for most disputes. Under Act 220 its rent officers assess rents, investigate complaints by landlords about arrears and by landlords or tenants about anything else in the Act, can summon the parties and inspect the premises, and can bring prosecutions before the magistrate (s5). The service is administrative and a rent officer cannot award costs (s24). The Department has offices around the country; its own portal (rentcontrol.mwh.gov.gh) showed no content when we checked on 3 October 2026, so ask at the ministry or the nearest district assembly for the local office. In June 2026 the Department said it would set up an anonymous platform for reporting landlords who demand more than six months' advance.

Courts: possession claims and rent offences go to the district court, whose magistrate acts as rent magistrate, with appeals upwards (Act 220, s34 and s36). The Department has asked the Chief Justice for dedicated rent courts (June 2026), not yet created as of 2026-10. Free help: the Legal Aid Commission, set up under the Legal Aid Commission Act 2018, mediates landlord and tenant disputes through its alternative dispute resolution unit and gives free legal advice and representation to people who cannot afford a lawyer, though with a heavy backlog (Ghanaian Times, April 2026; we could not reach the Commission's own website). The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) takes complaints of human-rights abuses and of unfair treatment by public bodies, including the Rent Control Department, through regional and district offices; the Constitution bars discrimination on grounds such as gender, race, ethnic origin, religion and social or economic status (art. 17), but no statute deals with discrimination in letting.

Agents: complaints against a licensed broker or agent, and reports of unlicensed activity (anonymous reports accepted), go to the Real Estate Agency Council. Fraud, such as a fake agent or 'owner' taking advance rent, is a crime: report it to the Ghana Police Service as well. A tenant association, the National Tenants Union of Ghana, campaigns on rent issues (it asked the minister in April 2025 to suspend the rental assistance scheme), but it is an advocacy group, not a dispute body. This page is information, not legal advice: for a live dispute, go to the Rent Control Department, the Legal Aid Commission or a lawyer.