Ghana Landlords: FirstKey App Enforces Rent Advance Directive

• A new mobile app, FirstKey App, has been launched to help expose landlords who demand excessive rents from tenants.
• The app checks rental listings against the six-month advance rent limit before publication, ensuring compliance with the Rent Act 1963 (Act 220).
• FirstKey App aims to promote transparency in the rental market and protect tenants from unlawful rent demands and exploitation.

All of this is to protect tenants and ensure they are not exploited.

The six-month rent advance directive issued by the government has been met with resistance from some landlords, who continue to demand excessive rents from tenants. This issue is not new, as the Rent Act 1963 (Act 220) has restricted advance rent payments to six months for over six decades. However, weak enforcement and a lack of cooperation between tenants and landlords have allowed this practice to persist. The situation has been exacerbated by Ghana's housing deficit, estimated at about 1.8 million units. To address this issue, the Rent Control Department is working to strengthen its efforts in enforcing the rent advance directive.

A new mobile application, FirstKey App, has been launched by Ownkey, a Ghanaian property technology company, to help expose landlords and agents who violate the law. The app checks rental listings against the six-month advance rent limit before publication, ensuring that only compliant properties are listed on its platform. This initiative is expected to support the Rent Control Department's efforts in enforcing the rent advance directive. By promoting transparency in the rental market, FirstKey App aims to protect tenants from unlawful rent demands and exploitation.

The launch of FirstKey App is seen as a private sector contribution towards addressing Ghana's housing challenges. According to Mr Ilyas Ibrahim, the CEO of Ownkey, the app was built around the standards of the Rent Act 1963 (Act 220) and is designed to promote transparency in the rental market. The initiative has been welcomed by President John Dramani Mahama, who has urged tenants to report landlords who demand more than the legally permitted six months' rent in advance. By working together with the government and other stakeholders, Ownkey hopes to improve compliance and strengthen enforcement of the law.

Lawyers advising clients on renting property in Ghana should be aware of the new FirstKey App, which checks rental listings against the six-month advance rent limit and can help tenants avoid exploitation. Compliance officers may also want to monitor the platform's impact on enforcing the Rent Control Department's efforts.

Source: Original reporting via Ghanaian Times