Rent Commissioner Frederick Opoku has warned the management of the University of Ghana Enterprises Limited (UGEL) that the Rent Control Department is poised to take legal action over the university’s handling of accommodation fee increases.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr Opoku revealed that he had cautioned UGEL’s chief executive officer during a meeting about the potential legal consequences of breaching the Rent Act, including a possible jail term.
“At the meeting, I strongly warned the UGEL CEO that he risks going to jail because the Rent Act provides for a custodial sentence for certain breaches,” he said.
The commissioner added that the department is seeking legal advice from the Attorney‑General’s Office and is confident that the matter could proceed to court if UGEL fails to comply with the law.
“We are taking advice from the Attorney‑General, and I am sure we will be suing them for non‑compliance and illegality. I believe the Attorney‑General will get them prosecuted, and they will face the full rigours of the law,” he warned.
Mr Opoku has given UGEL a seven‑day deadline to demonstrate its willingness to comply with the department’s directives or face possible legal proceedings.
“They have seven days to show their muscles or meet us in court,” he declared.
He stressed that the Rent Control Department would no longer tolerate attempts by institutions to disregard its directives and that the department was determined to enforce its mandate.
“A time has come when people are calling the bluff of Rent Control and refusing to face the law. If the GRA, NPA and other regulatory bodies issue directives and people respect them, nobody should think Rent Control is a toothless bulldog. That is no more,” he said.
The warning comes amid growing controversy over proposed accommodation fee increases at the University of Ghana, which has triggered student protests and calls for greater transparency in the management of hostel charges.
Mr Opoku maintains that while landlords and accommodation providers may seek to increase rent, they must follow the prescribed legal procedures and justify proposed increases to the department.
