Former KNUST SRC President, Dr. Samuel Sesah, has attributed the persistent rise in hostel fees around Ghana’s tertiary institutions to deep-rooted structural problems within the country’s housing and rent regulation system.
In a detailed social media post, Dr. Sesah argued that soaring hostel rents near universities such as KNUST, the University of Ghana, UCC and other public institutions are not accidental, but the result of “high demand, low supply, weak enforcement of the Rent Act, and no price transparency.”
“Hostel rents near Legon, KNUST, UCC, UG etc. have been rising faster than inflation and student incomes,” he wrote, stressing that the situation continues to place enormous pressure on students and parents.
According to him, temporary interventions alone will not solve the crisis unless authorities adopt a coordinated strategy that addresses the root causes.
“A one-off price cap won’t fix it even if this approach works. You need a system that tackles supply, data, enforcement, and tenant protection together,” he stated.
Dr. Sesah explained that the lack of transparency in hostel pricing has made regulation difficult, allowing some landlords and hostel operators to increase fees arbitrarily.
“You can’t regulate what you don’t measure. Right now landlords raise prices in the dark,” he noted.
To address the challenge, he proposed mandatory digital registration of all student hostels within a two-kilometre radius of public tertiary institutions through the Rent Control Department’s portal. The registration, he suggested, should include information on room types, capacity, facilities, pricing, and lease terms.
He also called for the creation of a public “Student Hostel Price Dashboard” to provide students with real-time hostel pricing information and improve competition within the market.
On the demand side, Dr. Sesah pointed to the vulnerability of students, describing them as “young, dispersed, and often uninformed.”
He therefore recommended the establishment of university-based Student Housing Offices to accredit hostels, handle complaints, and publish approved accommodation lists.
“Each public university must have an office that vets and accredits hostels, handles complaints, and publishes an approved list. No accreditation, then no university recommendation,” he proposed.
Dr. Sesah further argued that the long-term solution to high hostel fees lies in expanding the supply of affordable student accommodation.
“Prices drop when supply catches up with demand,” he stated.
Among his proposals were public-private partnership hostel projects on university lands, tax incentives for accredited hostel operators, and the conversion of underutilised state properties into affordable student accommodation.
He also urged government to strengthen enforcement of the Rent Act, 1963 (Act 220), saying the law “exists but is barely enforced.”
As part of enforcement reforms, he suggested the establishment of Student Rent Tribunals in Accra, Kumasi, Cape Coast and Tamale to fast-track disputes within 14 days.
Dr. Sesah further proposed legal limits on annual hostel rent increments, recommending that increases above inflation plus five percent should require approval from the Rent Control Department unless landlords undertake major property upgrades.
Additionally, he called for stricter sanctions, including fines ranging from GH¢10,000 to GH¢50,000 and suspension of licences for unregistered hostels, illegal evictions, and unlawful rent hikes.
The former student leader maintained that without structural reforms, the recurring concerns over hostel accommodation costs would persist despite periodic enforcement exercises by authorities.
