Ghana’s acting Rent Commissioner, Frederick Opoku, has formally partnered with the Bank of Ghana to end the practice of charging rent in US dollars – a direct push to implement what the law has technically required for years. Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on May 12, 2026, Mr. Opoku confirmed that the Rent Control Department and the Bank of Ghana’s Financial Markets Department have held discussions and are now coordinating enforcement. He also disclosed that Ghana’s Rent Act of 1963 – which has governed landlord-tenant relations for over six decades – is under review, with amendments targeted for completion before the end of 2026.
The plain meaning: landlords who quote rents in US dollars, demand dollar payments, or advertise properties in dollars without Bank of Ghana authorization are operating outside the law. The question is whether this time, someone actually does something about it.
What the Rent Commissioner Said
Mr. Opoku’s remarks on Joy FM were unusually blunt for a government official. He acknowledged that the Bank of Ghana has issued directives against foreign-currency pricing in domestic transactions before – and that those directives have largely been ignored. “Bank of Ghana has been issuing directives. Who listens to them? Enforcement. Ghana is becoming a lawless country,” he said.
He went further, calling out landlords who publicly advertise properties in millions of dollars without any fear of prosecution. “We are bold to come to television and say one million dollars, three million dollars and go with impunity,” he said. That kind of public defiance, he argued, signals that existing Bank of Ghana directives lack teeth – and that the partnership with the Rent Control Department is meant to change that.
On the Rent Act amendment, Mr. Opoku said the law needs to reflect current realities in the housing market. “I am hoping that by the end of the year, some of the places we believe need to be amended will be amended,” he said.
Is Charging Rent in Dollars Actually Illegal?
Yes. Ghana’s legal tender is the Ghana Cedi, and the Bank of Ghana Act requires that domestic transactions be settled in cedis unless the Bank of Ghana specifically grants an exemption. There is no blanket exemption for residential rental agreements. A landlord who demands USD rent from a tenant in Accra, Kumasi, or anywhere else in Ghana is in violation of this framework.
The practice of dollar-denominated rents grew during periods of rapid cedi depreciation – particularly in 2022, when the cedi depreciated by around 30% against the dollar for the full year, according to Bank of Ghana year-end data, though it reached peaks of over 55% depreciation in November before a partial recovery. Landlords, particularly in areas popular with expats, diplomats, and diaspora returnees such as Airport Residential, East Legon, Cantonments, and Labone, shifted to dollar pricing as a hedge against local currency swings. That logic is understandable from a financial standpoint, but it does not make it legal.
| Location Type | Typical USD Monthly Rent | Approximate GHS Equivalent (May 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| High-end apartment, Airport Residential / East Legon | USD 1,500 – 3,500 | GHS 16,950 – 39,550 |
| Mid-range apartment, Tema / Spintex | USD 400 – 900 | GHS 4,520 – 10,170 |
| Standard controlled unit, Adabraka / Nima | Rarely in dollars | GHS 300 – 800 (controlled rate) |
Exchange rate approximate at GHS 11.30 per USD as of May 2026. Rates fluctuate. Source: Bank of Ghana / XE.com.
What the Bank of Ghana Partnership Means
This is the part that could actually change things – or could amount to another round of press statements. The Bank of Ghana’s Financial Markets Department is the unit responsible for overseeing foreign exchange transactions and ensuring compliance with Ghana’s foreign exchange rules. Its involvement signals that the approach is shifting from the Rent Control Department alone issuing warnings, to a coordinated effort with a regulator that has actual enforcement power.
What enforcement could look like in practice: sanctions against landlords who invoice in dollars, referral of non-compliant landlords to the Rent Court or law enforcement, and increased scrutiny of real estate listings on platforms that openly advertise in US dollars. Mr. Opoku was clear that the partnership should produce results, not just press releases. “He said the partnership with the Bank of Ghana was expected to produce results and not end with public statements alone,” Graphic Online reported.
The Rent Control Department’s recent track record gives some reason for cautious optimism. Since April 1, 2026, the Department has been actively enforcing the six-month advance rent cap under the existing Rent Act, with landlords now facing prosecution for demanding more. That enforcement campaign followed years of near-total non-compliance with the same rule. If the Department can sustain enforcement on advance rent, a parallel push on dollar rents is at least plausible.
The 1963 Rent Act: What Is Being Amended
Ghana’s Rent Act (Act 220) has been on the books since 1963. The law covers rent control for eligible residential premises, caps rent advance payments at six months, and establishes the Rent Tribunal as the dispute resolution mechanism. The Rent Control Law of 1986 (PNDCL 138) later added further tenant protections, including rent cards and registration requirements. In its current form, it does not address dollar-denominated rents explicitly, does not contemplate the modern private rental market (high-end apartments, gated communities, Airbnb-style short-term rentals), and lacks the penalty structures needed to deter non-compliance.
A Rent Bill was laid before Parliament in March 2023 and has been stalled since. Mr. Opoku’s statement that amendments are expected “by the end of the year” refers to progress on either that Bill or targeted amendments to the existing Act. Among the areas likely to be updated: clearer penalties for foreign-currency rent demands, formal requirements for lease agreements, and possibly the creation of a Ghana Rent Authority, which President John Dramani Mahama referenced as part of his broader Social Housing Policy.
Parliament has also heard strong statements on this issue. A Member of Parliament speaking on the floor noted that “some of the rents are now in dollars and if a person does not have dollars” they simply cannot access housing – an acknowledgment that the dollar-rent problem is no longer confined to luxury developments. It has begun pricing ordinary Ghanaians out of the mid-range rental market in Accra and Tema.
Who This Affects: Tenants, Expats, and Landlords
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Ghanaian Tenants
For the majority of Ghanaian renters – civil servants, teachers, young professionals – dollar rents are simply inaccessible. If a landlord in Dzorwulu or Abelemkpe quotes USD 800 per month, that is the equivalent of GHS 12,000 at current rates, or roughly GBP 630 / RMB 58,000 annually adjusted. A crackdown that forces landlords back to cedi pricing does not automatically make rent affordable, but it removes the foreign currency premium that has inflated asking prices in specific neighborhoods.
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Diaspora and Expat Renters
For diaspora returnees and expatriates earning in foreign currency, dollar rents have been relatively straightforward to pay – and many have not thought much about the legal dimension. If enforcement tightens, landlords will have to issue leases and receipts in cedis. That is largely an administrative change, but it also means dollar-denominated increases can no longer be passed through automatically as currency depreciates. A cedi-denominated lease offers the tenant more stability – and requires the landlord to go through proper channels to adjust rent.
If you are planning a move to Ghana and want to understand how the rental market works in practice, including what to expect from landlords, what lease terms are standard, and how to navigate advance rent negotiations, our e-book 250 Things to Know Before Moving to Ghana covers all of this in detail.
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Landlords
Landlords in the premium rental market face the most direct impact. Those who have structured their income around dollar receipts – particularly landlords with foreign mortgages or construction loans denominated in dollars – will argue that they need dollar rents to match their dollar liabilities. That argument has some economic logic to it, but it does not constitute a legal exemption. The Bank of Ghana’s process for authorizing foreign currency transactions exists precisely to handle these cases formally.
The Enforcement Problem
Ghana has a housing deficit of over 1.8 million units, according to data cited by Parliament and industry bodies. That shortage gives landlords structural bargaining power regardless of what the law says. A tenant who cannot find alternative accommodation has little practical ability to refuse a landlord’s dollar-rent demand, even knowing it is illegal. This dynamic has allowed non-compliance to persist for years despite existing Bank of Ghana directives.
The Rent Control Department operates with limited staff and resources relative to the size of the informal housing market. Around 80% of Ghana’s housing stock is in the informal or semi-formal sector, where monitoring every tenancy agreement is not realistic. Enforcement will necessarily be complaint-driven and concentrated in areas where dollar rents are most visible – the premium residential neighborhoods of Greater Accra.
Mr. Opoku’s framing was honest about this. He described Ghana as “becoming a lawless country” on rent matters – a characterization that fits the pattern of laws that exist on paper but see minimal enforcement. The question now is whether the Bank of Ghana’s formal involvement changes the calculus for landlords who have operated with impunity.
What Tenants Can Do Right Now
If a landlord is demanding rent in dollars, you have recourse – at least in principle. The Rent Control Department has a complaints process, and cases can be referred to the Rent Tribunal. Given the April 2026 enforcement push on advance rent violations, the Department appears more active than it has been in previous years.
In practical terms: ask for any rent agreement in cedis. If a landlord refuses to provide a cedi-denominated lease, that refusal itself is worth documenting. You can contact the Rent Control Department directly, and if the landlord is demanding advance payments beyond six months, that is a separate and independently prosecutable violation.
For expats navigating the rental market for the first time, understanding which areas are dollar-rent-heavy, what normal lease terms look like, and how to deal with landlord disputes can save real money and stress. Our guide to renting an apartment in Ghana as a foreigner walks through the process step by step.
Sources
- Graphic Online: “Rent Commissioner, BoG Begin Move to End Dollar Rent Payments” (May 12, 2026)
- Adom Online: “Are We in America? – Acting Rent Commissioner Questions Rent Pricing in Dollars” (May 12, 2026)
- Nkonkonsa: “Acting Rent Commissioner Condemns Rent Pricing in Dollars” (May 12, 2026)
- Parliament of Ghana: “The Rent Regime and the Urgent Need for Reforms” (Parliamentary Floor Speech)
- Modern Ghana: “Six-Month Rent Advance Rule: Rent Control Finally Bites as Landlords Face Jail Time” (May 2026)
- GhanaWeb: “Rent Control Cracks Down on Hostel Operators Over Exploitative Charges” (April 27, 2026)
