Rent Control Dep’t resolved more than 80% of complaints received from 2016 - 2020
"Despite that, from 2016 to last year, statistics have shown that we’ve been able to settle over 80% of the cases that comes here."
In the last four(4) years, the Rent Control Department has received an average of 18,000 complaints per year and was able to resolve over 80 percent of those complaints despite its logistical challenges and resource constraints.
“You see how the probable sum of our resources is. Despite that, from 2016 to last year, statistics have shown that we’ve been able to settle over 80% of the cases that comes here. Interestingly, you see the people here. You cant achieve 100% because you cannot satisfy everybody but based on the law and through the law, we were able to settle more than 80% of the issues that were brought before us.
The rest are those we referred to the Magistrate. Part is also those who came to strike them off and also those who are pending. Some were withdrawn, some were struck out because the correspondents did not show up again so we had to strike them out so its an achievement”
“So averagely it is about 18,000 per year and it is out of this number that we can settle averagely, more than 80%.”
This was disclosed by the Head of Public Relations of the Department, Emmanuel Hovey Kporsu in an interview with Dennislaw news in Accra.
New Rent Bill
On the impact of the new rent Bill on their work, Mr. Kporsu mentioned that their outfit will have a change of name and a Commissioner to be the Administrative Head of the Department, and the extension of the 6 months rent advance regime to a year to balance the interests of landlords and tenants.
Additionally, he mentioned that charges such as security deposits and goodwill being charged by some landlords will be dealt with under the new Act. He said they have proposed for these fees to be legalized so that no amount can be charged beyond what will be stipulated.
Will the New Act solve the Department’s problems?
Mr.Emmanuel noted that every law depends on the implementation and the people’s reaction relative to their understanding of the same thus the Rent Control Department will embark on a massive sensitization upon the passage of the Bill to get the people to understand its provisions and their work.
Flouting of the 6 months rents advance-Any prosecutions?
He noted that relative meting out punishment to recalcitrant landlords in this regard, the Rent Control Department does not work in isolation but works with the courts thus their role is to report such landlords to the magistrate.
He noted that they have made findings on landlords and reported to the magistrate for action but cannot readily give the exact number who have been prosecuted though they know that some have been sanctioned for flouting the provision.
Mr. Hovey added that per the new Bill, the magistrate will be mandated to give the Department, feedback on the exact number of people who will be prosecuted for flouting the provisions.
Background
The Rent Bill 2022, seeks to consolidate the law on rent, reform the existing enactment on rent, remove housing constraints, offer incentives for private sector investments in housing, and maintain the protection of low income and vulnerable from abuse and arbitrary actions.
The Rent Act, 1963 (Act 2020), has outlived its relevance, to the current population growth, housing availability, housing maintenance, the trend in technology advancement in the rental market, and other current issues.
Also, the intervening law, the Rent Control Law, 1986 (PNDC L 138) failed to address the problems of rental accommodation, because landlords were constrained in the application of rent to reflect inflationary trends.
