The government has set up a committee to regulate rental prices after growing complaints from students over the high cost of private hostels near tertiary institutions across Ghana.
The move follows a petition by the President of the National Union of Ghana Students, Ibrahim Rashid, to the Rent Control Department on 2nd May 2026 over what he described as arbitrary and excessive charges by hostel operators and landlords.
Mr Rashid raised the concerns during an interview on Metro TV’s Home Owner Show hosted by Dr Hanna Atiase.
The programme featured several tertiary students who expressed frustration over the rising cost of accommodation around universities. Many described the prices charged by private hostel operators as unreasonable and beyond the reach of students.
In response, Acting Rent Commissioner Fredrick Opoku visited a number of tertiary institutions to assess the situation firsthand.
Mr Opoku said the findings from the visits were worrying, adding that some hostel facilities had since been shut down over breaches identified during the inspections.
The Rent Control Department said the concerns raised by students and the petition from NUGS contributed to the government’s decision to establish a committee to regulate pricing within the rental sector.
The agency also assured the public that hostel investors and landlords would be invited for discussions aimed at addressing the situation.
Story By Martha Seyram Jackson || Metro Digital
