The Acting Rent Control Commissioner, Frederick Opoku, has disclosed that the agency will hold a stakeholder engagement meeting next week with hostel operators over exploitative pricing.
The meeting is also expected to discuss the issue of compliance with rent law and concerns over outrageous hostel fees. Mr. Opoku made the disclosure in an interview on TV3's Ghana Tonight, Thursday, May 7, 2026.
He emphasized that Rent Control does not intend to use forceful enforcement measures but rather seek dialogue and cooperation with stakeholders.
"We are calling a meeting next week to have stakeholder engagement with all the hostel operators. We are not going to do any kind of Rambo style approach to do any enforcement.
"We are stakeholders. Our mission is to engage and to get them informed, if they are not aware and to ensure that they will do the right thing," he stated.
This follows a tour by the Rent Control Commissioner to some hostels at the University of Ghana after the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) had petitioned Rent Control Commissioner over exploitative pricing by hostel operators.
According to the Commissioner, upon a visit to Viking hostel and Pent hostel at the University of Ghana, they discovered that hostel fees were "outrageous."
He noted that at Viking hostel, one student in a room with air condition pays as much as GHC14,000 per semester.
"When we went to the pent hostel, it was outrageous. We were told they have old and new Pent. At the old Pent, four students in one hostel pay GHC6,200 per person.
"At the new Pent, they were paying GHC8,800 for four in a room. And one in a room is paying GHC24, 000 with Air condition," he added.
Mr. Opoku cautioned hostel operators against increasing accommodation fees without approval from the Rent Control Department, stressing that such adjustments must comply with the law.
According to him, the Rent Control Department is mandated to assess rental charges and issue certificates of assessment, after which landlords and hostel operators are restricted from increasing rent for a two-year period.
Mr. Opoku said the directive applies equally to hostels and student accommodation facilities.
“We are asking them that if they have intentions to increase fees, they should hold on. We are going to do an assessment and apply the law,” he stated.
He explained that existing charges should remain unchanged until the Rent Control Commission completes a nationwide assessment exercise to determine appropriate rental rates.
"Whatever you are charging today, stay put. We will assess and let you know how much is right and you can go by that amount that we are going to assess with you. Until we are done with assessment across board, they cannot increase fees," he said.
The Acting Commissioner warned that operators could be compelled to reverse increases deemed excessive after assessment.
He indicated that if a hostel currently charging GH¢20,000 is assessed at GH¢5,000, the operator would be required to adopt the approved amount.
“That is what the law says and we will do just that,” he stressed.
The move comes amid growing concerns over rising hostel accommodation costs, particularly for tertiary students across the country.
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