No landlord has the right to lock out a tenant over rent debt – Rent control
The Public Relations Officer of the Rent Control Department Emmanuel Kprosu has disclosed that no landlord has the right to lock out a tenant for failing to pay his/her rent.
There have been several stories online about property owners locking the doors of tenants for failing to pay their rent debts.
Some of these landlords go to the extent of throwing out the properties of the tenants leaving those properties to the fate of the whether.
The PRO of Rent Control in addressing this issue mentioned that regardless of the problem between landlords and tenants, no landlord has the right to take the laws into their own hands.
He explained that all matters need to be reported to the rent control including matters of debt by tenants because they have a procedure for resolving issues of such nature.
Popular now
Man marries triplets together on the same day as the sister insists on marrying all of them at once
Mr Kprosu however, disclosed that the is no provision for free rent in Ghana, debunking the misconception that landlords are obligated to give tenants three months’ notice or amnesty as supported by the law.
He said: “A landlord has no right to lock out a tenant, no matter what the tenant has done. If it is a criminal offence, then you have to report it to the police. If the issues are related to rent, you have to come to the department. You cannot lock out the tenant or disconnect his electricity or water. That is a criminal offence. Unless a court has granted that order, the Department and the Police will enforce this order.”
“Even if the tenant is indebted to a landlord, you have no right to lock out the tenant. It is a criminal offence. You have to report the person, so we will assist you in addressing the issue.”
“There is no law that mandates the landlord to grant you three months’ notice before evicting you. It will be out of the landlord’s own will to do so. But tenants are required to pay their rent for the period they stayed in a rented apartment.”
source: ghpage
