The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has described the Rent Control Department’s directive to hostels to suspend any planned fee increases for the 2026/2027 academic year as timely and appropriate.
The Rent Control Department, in collaboration with the Office of the Rent Commissioner, directed all hostel owners to halt any planned fee increases ahead of broader stakeholder engagement.
Speaking to Citi News on Wednesday, May 20, the President of NUGS, Rashid Ibrahim Esq., described the move as a step in the right direction.
“That is in the right direction because, on Monday, May 19, a student called me to say that their hostel managers contacted them to say that they are about to increase hostel fees, probably by next week. So this communique coming out this time is good. We welcome it.
“It is meant to resolve all of the issues regarding hostels. The National Union of Ghana Students will also take part in the stakeholders’ engagement. At the stakeholders’ engagement, we will also use the opportunity to stress our grievances, once we petition the Rent Control to address them for us. So we welcome the decision by the Rent Control,” the President of the National Union of Ghana Students said.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, May 19, and signed by the Acting Rent Commissioner, Frederick Opoku, the directive is described as temporary, pending stakeholder consultations on pricing and related concerns.
According to the statement, the Rent Control Department will soon convene a meeting with key stakeholders in the student hostel accommodation sector, including student representative bodies, to deliberate on sustainable, fair, and lawful measures governing hostel pricing and standards.
