Rent Advance in Ghana: The Six-Month Rule, Your Rights and How to Complain

Short answer: under Ghana's Rent Act, 1963 (Act 220), a landlord may not demand more than six months' rent in advance for a tenancy longer than six months. The Rent Control Department says it has enforced the rule "to the letter" since 1 April 2026 and treats demanding more as an offence. You can complain online at rentcontrol.mwh.gov.gh or at a Rent Control office.

What does the law say about rent advance?

Section 25(5) of the Rent Act, as amended, limits rent paid in advance to six months for tenancies longer than six months. Shorter tenancies have a lower limit. The Rent Bill that would change the rules has been before Parliament since 2023 and is not law yet, so the Rent Act still applies to every tenancy.

What has changed in 2026?

The Acting Rent Commissioner said in 2026 that collecting more than six months' advance is a criminal offence and that Rent Control would enforce it from 1 April 2026. Rent Control also urged tenants to keep evidence of demands for more than the legal advance.

How do you protect yourself when renting?

• Get a written tenancy agreement that states the rent, the advance and how long it covers.
• Get a receipt for every payment, with the landlord's full name.
• Keep evidence (messages, receipts) if the landlord demands more than six months.
• Meet the real owner. Fake landlords and agents rent out houses they do not own. Read fake landlords and agents in Accra and Kumasi.
• Never pay a "viewing fee" or "booking fee" by MoMo before you have seen the room and met the owner.

How do you complain?

1. File a complaint on the Rent Control portal, rentcontrol.mwh.gov.gh, or visit a Rent Control office in your area.
2. Bring your tenancy agreement, receipts and any messages.
3. Track your case on the portal.

If an agent took your money and disappeared, also report their number on TrustCheck and to the Cyber Security Authority (292).

Where these facts come from (checked 31 October 2026): GhanaWeb: Six-month rent advance rule, Rent Control finally bites; Ghana Property Finder: the Rent Bill.