Private legal practitioner Victoria Bright has said Ghana’s challenges with rent abuse cannot be effectively addressed unless the country first deals with its housing supply deficit.

Speaking on the JoyNews AM Show on Monday, 11 May, during discussions on rent advance practices and President Mahama’s directive aimed at curbing alleged abuse by landlords, she noted that while the law is clear, enforcement alone will not resolve the structural issues in the rental market.

Ms Bright explained that although the President is right in principle to intervene, Ghana’s rental sector has long operated outside the spirit of the Rent Act, which caps rent advance payments at six months.

“The law is very, very clear. Landlords are not supposed to charge more than six months' rent in advance. But the problem is that our housing market has operated outside the spirit of the law for decades,” she stated.

She attributed the situation to a severe housing deficit, weak enforcement of existing regulations, historically high inflation, and the absence of affordable rental financing systems.

According to her, the issue extends beyond landlords and tenants and requires broader reform of Ghana’s housing ecosystem.

She argued that the conversation should focus on whether the state is ready to acknowledge the scale of the problem and undertake comprehensive reform of the housing sector.

Ms Bright described President Mahama’s intervention as a positive step that reflects widespread public frustration, particularly among young professionals, newly married couples, informal sector workers, and retirees who are most affected by high rent advance demands.

She noted that many tenants are required to pay up to two or three years’ rent in advance, in addition to agency fees, utility deposits, and sometimes furnishing costs before securing accommodation.

However, she cautioned that strict enforcement without an increase in housing supply would not be sustainable.

“You can’t solve this rent abuse without solving the housing supply. That, to me, is at the heart of the issue,” she stressed.

She explained that scarcity gives landlords significant leverage, making tenants willing to pay excessive advance rent to secure accommodation.

Ms Bright further observed that many landlords are ordinary individuals, including pensioners and middle-class families who have invested in property through loans and savings, often under high-interest conditions.

She also noted that Ghana lacks a dedicated and accessible housing finance system to support large-scale affordable rental development.

While acknowledging public support for action against exploitative rent practices, she maintained that the real solution lies in expanding affordable housing supply.

She concluded that Ghana cannot regulate scarcity without increasing housing stock, adding that lasting reform will require improved affordability, increased supply, and a modern housing strategy that addresses the needs of ordinary citizens.