Property owners must stop setting own rules on rent

Property owners have been told to get right with the law and step back from setting their own rules on rent.

Mr. Ishmael Essien, Asante-Akim Central Municipal Director of the Rent Control Department, asked that they became more conversant with the rent law and strictly operated within it.

This, he said, was the way to go to help improve landlord-tenant relationship – prevent conflict.

He was speaking at a day’s workshop organised by his department for property owners and tenants at Odumase near Konongo.

It was held under the theme “Bridging the gap between landlords and tenants: the role of the Rent Control Department” and the goal was to help everybody to have a better understanding of the content of tenancy agreements.

Mr. Essien underlined the determination of the department to boldly enforce the rent law and deal with any breaches.

He reminded property owners that they were obliged by law to obtain certificate and rent cards from the department before they could rent out their property.

He announced the start of an exercise in the municipality to make sure that these requirements were met.

He encouraged tenants to also insist on seeing the certificate and being given rent cards before they moved into a rented property.

Additionally, both parties would have to enter into properly written agreement to avoid any confusion.

Mr. Essien used the occasion to counsel against the resort to violence to settle misunderstanding and said every conflict should be reported to the department to be amicably resolved.