Landlords are required to investigate their prospective tenants before accepting them into their houses, for safety and security reasons. This is according to the Rent Control Department.

A spokesperson for the Department, Emmanuel Xove Kporsu disclosed that a bill is being drafted to make it an offence for a landlord to fail to embark on these necessary checks.

“The bill that we are reviewing is going to make it an offence for any landlord who does not do any proper checks before renting their premises out.

“When it’s completely reviewed, culprits of this offence can be sanctioned to two years imprisonment or a GH₵10,000 fine.

Mr Kporsu made these disclosures on Joy Prime on Thursday.

On the same show, the General Secretary of the National Tenants Union of Ghana indicated that landlords must abide by the rules governing rent in order to help the Rent Control get their database which goes a long way in protecting the landlords and tenants.

Fredrick Opoku however, believed that the Rent Control Department is not properly executing its functions.

According to him, the Department focuses more on settling landlord-tenant issues rather than enforcing the fundamental laws governing rent.

He added that Rent Control must ensure that landlords have registered their tenancy with the Department before anything else.

Mr Opoku further suggested that Rent Control must sensitse the entire public on the requirements through education, and must also have a fixed budget to carry out their activities.

He also believes that effectiveness of the Rent Control Department will reduce the landlord-tenant misunderstandings and aid the National Tenants Union to work smoothly.