The Acting Rent Commissioner, Frederick Opoku, has defended the Rent Control Department’s decision to halt proposed increases in private hostel accommodation fees, insisting that hostel operators must comply with rent assessment requirements before charging students new rates.
Speaking after the Rent Control Department directed private hostel owners and facility managers to suspend planned fee increments for the 2026/2027 academic year, Mr Opoku said rising hostel charges have become a major concern that authorities can no longer ignore.
According to him, hostel accommodation falls within the mandate of the Rent Control Department, and operators are required by law to have their facilities assessed before determining prices.
“There is an emerging issue where hikes in hostel fees are on the rise and we believe that hostel is not out of our mandate,” he said on Citi Eyewitness News on Tuesday May 19.
“In terms of how much they must charge, you have to make sure that your hostel is assessed before you can come out with any pricing.”
Mr Opoku said the practice of hostel operators increasing fees without proper assessment has gone on for years unchecked, but stressed that the current administration of the department is determined to enforce the law fully.
“This is not what we have seen over the years and we believe that the fact that people are breaking this law over the years with impunity does not mean that we must allow it to continue,” he stated.
“Today the tables have turned. I am the new commissioner and my mandate is to ensure that the rent laws of the republic are applied and applied fully and that is what I am doing.”
He rejected claims that the department had exceeded its powers, maintaining that all actions taken are within the legal mandate of the commission.
“I have not acted out of law. I am working within the confines of my mandate,” he added.
The Acting Rent Commissioner further claimed that some hostel operators who were allegedly exploiting tenants have paused their actions following the directive, creating room for engagement between regulators and stakeholders.
“That is why people who are acting illegally or exploiting people have stopped so that at least we can engage and take it from there,” he said.
He reiterated that the key requirement remains proper rent assessment before hostel fees are determined.
“The baseline is assess your rent before you charge,” he stressed.
The comments follow a statement issued by the Rent Control Department on Tuesday, May 19, directing all private hostel owners, operators and facility managers to temporarily suspend any planned fee increases for the next academic year pending stakeholder consultations.
The department said it would soon meet with key players in the student accommodation sector, including student representative bodies, to discuss fair and lawful pricing measures and broader concerns affecting hostel accommodation in the country.
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