You cannot use sex as payment for rent – Rent Control warns

The Rent Control Department has cautioned landlords to desist from demanding sex from female tenants as cost, for their rent.

The Department told ‘Nyankonton Mu Nsem’ on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm that it is unlawful for any landlord to give out their rooms for rent in exchange for sex or any material thing in place of rent apart from the approved rate.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the Department, Mr. Emmanuel Kposu said this is contrary to Section 25 (1) (b) of the rent law.

Both the landlord and tenant would go into agreement contrary to the approved rate by the Rent Control Department.

This act he added is punishable by law and stressed the need for tenants and landlords to take note of it.

The PRO further advised landlords to stop charging more than six months’ rent.

He stated that no landlord has the right to charge more than six months’ rent advance.

Touching on taxes, he said the law required that landlords pay eight percent of their annual rent income tax to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

He also said every landlord was obliged to pay rent tax and property rate.

He was reacting to a story at Adeiso in the Eastern Region where a landlord has asked a female tenant to vacate his room after she refused to have sex with him.

The tenant had gone into an agreement with the landlord and date and have sex with him in exchange for her rent.

However, the tenant has told the landlord she was no longer interested in the relationship and would also not move out of the room.

Source: Ghana Guardian