General News of 2026-10-16
Watch as Rent Commissioner clashes with landlady over forceful eviction of tenant
Acting Rent Commissioner Frederick Opoku has confronted a landlady at Lashibi Community 16 in the Greater Accra Region over the forceful eviction of a female tenant and her child following a disagreement over rent payments.
The confrontation occurred when the Rent Commissioner visited the property to investigate reports that the landlady had allegedly broken into the tenant's room and removed her belongings without obtaining a court order.
The incident reportedly left the woman and her child stranded after their personal belongings were thrown out of the apartment.
According to the tenant, she had initially planned to share the cost of the accommodation with another occupant but encountered difficulties finding someone willing to split the rent.
She claimed that despite explaining her situation to the landlady and pleading for additional time to find someone to share the financial burden, her request was rejected.
The disagreement allegedly escalated when the landlady ordered the removal of her belongings from the room, leaving her and her child without accommodation.
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Following reports of the incident, Acting Rent Commissioner Frederick Opoku visited the property to assess the situation and engage the landlady over her actions.
During the confrontation, the visibly displeased commissioner questioned the landlady's justification for allegedly forcing her way into the tenant's room and removing her belongings.
He challenged the landlady's explanation that the room was infested with rodents, insisting that such a situation did not give her the legal authority to evict a tenant forcibly.
"Do you think that is a justification for you to forcefully enter somebody's room, break it and then pack the things out?" he questioned.
Opoku further pointed out that the tenant had occupied the room for approximately one month and that the landlady had accepted payment from her.
He also disclosed that the landlady was still holding the tenant's security deposit, questioning why she would resort to such drastic measures instead of following the appropriate legal procedures.
"You took her money. She still has a security deposit with you," he stated.
The commissioner expressed disappointment over the landlady's conduct, stressing that property ownership does not place landlords above the laws of Ghana.
He explained that even where a landlord has legitimate concerns about a tenant, the appropriate procedure is to seek legal redress rather than take matters into their own hands.
During the heated exchange, the landlady attempted to defend her actions, claiming that the tenant had been given more than 20 days' notice before the incident.
However, Opoku maintained that issuing notice did not automatically give the landlady the authority to forcibly remove the tenant or her belongings without a court order.
He emphasised that only a court of competent jurisdiction has the legal authority to order the eviction of a tenant.
"The only institution that has the power to evict people, not even Rent Control, is the courts," he declared.
The commissioner subsequently directed that the tenant and her belongings be returned to the room immediately, pending a determination of the dispute by a competent court.
"I'm directing that this lady gets back to the room immediately until a court of competent jurisdiction decides otherwise," he stated.
He further called on the police to ensure that the belongings allegedly removed from the apartment were returned and that an inventory was taken as part of the ongoing investigation.
"Not one minute, not two seconds, immediately now, it must go there," he insisted.
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