The Rent Control Department has reaffirmed that charging tenants a 10% commission for agent-assisted housing searches is in violation of the Rent Law.While the department acknowledges the legitimacy of using agents, it categorically declares the 10% fee they collect from tenants as unlawful.During an interview on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.

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5Fm, the department emphasized that tenants are not responsible for remitting such commissions to agents.Emmanuel Kporsu, the Department's Public Relations Officer, underscored the illegality of agents receiving 10% of a tenant's rent in exchange for helping them secure accommodation.“The law recognises that when an agent works and searches for a room for someone, the landlord is responsible for paying the agent.

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” Because the accommodation rented is not for you as an agent, you have no authority to charge 10%. Because the landlord requested that you bring someone to rent the room, the landlord is liable for paying you.The landlord could have advertised so that those interested in renting the room would come. However, to save money, the landlord chooses to hire an agent. The landlord will offer you 5% after someone rents the room.

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He went on to say that if the person is paying monthly, the landlord is only obligated to pay 5% of that amount for one year, not two.The agent has no right to go back to the landlord and demand payment after a year. To emphasise this point, the commission will be 5% rather than 10%. Those that charge 10% and expect tenants to pay are in violation of the Rent Law. The landlord will pay you 5% of the tenant’s rent.

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As a result, an agent has no legal basis to charge both tenants and landlords 10%. It is prohibited and punished under the law.”

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