RCD registers 8,184 rent cases in 2012
The Rent Control Department received 8,184 complaints in 2012 from tenants and house owners bordering on issues of nuisance behaviours and harassment.
Out of the number, land lords and landladies lodged 4,184 complaints while grievances from tenants totaled 4,000, Mr. Joseph Akpalu, Senior Executive Officer at the Rent Control Department in Accra told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Friday .
He said most of the complaints presented by land lords and landladies were nuisance behaviours of tenants or refusal of tenants to pay rent or delay in doing so.
He said landowners also complained of tenant’s failure to tidy up bathrooms, toilet and compounds as well as incessant fight and petty quarrels among some of them that disturbed the peace and tranquility of neighbours and even other co-tenants.
Mr. Akpalu said tenants frequently complained of harassment meted out to them by owners of houses, who often threatened to eject them in the slightest of mistake or oversight.
He said some of the complaints also bordered on astronomical increases in rental fees.
He said despite the logistical and staff constraints facing the Department it had been able to settle 7,884 cases between landowners on one hand and the tenants on the other.
According to Mr. Akpalu, 140 cases had been referred to the magistrate court for redress while 120 of them were struck out due to non-appearance of the complainants in court or their unwillingness to continue with the cases.
He told the GNA that 40 cases had been withdrawn for out of court settlement.
Source: GNA