How to rent a home in Ghana (Part I)
A guide for foreign nationals and Ghanaians (The unwritten rules)
By Housing faironline Team
An Overview
According to the Ghana news Agency, the accommodation deficit in Ghana is about I,700,000 units. This means that, for everybody to have a decent accommodation, we should be able to put up to 1,700,000 houses. It is with this background that various governments have attempted to reduce the deficit by putting up the “affordable” housing units scattered over the country. I have intentionally put the word affordable in quotes because they do not appear to be affordable especially if you consider the average income of an average Ghanaian.
Due to the deficit nature of housing in Ghana, the demand outweighs the supply. This however is the primary cause of fraud in the home rental industry in Ghana mainly due to lack of regulations and minimum standards. It is with this reason that I have taken time off my busy schedule to develop a guideline that will outline the dos and don’ts in renting a decent home in Ghana and in Accra especially.
What you need to know before the search begins
There is the need to consider the following questions before you undertake a search;
A. How much do you intend to spend? (Your budget). This question if answered well will determine the following;
i. The number of bedrooms and wash rooms you are likely to get. In Ghana, the more the rooms, the higher the rental value. You will even pay more if all the rooms have individual washrooms.
ii. The neighborhood that your budget can sustain. I believe this cut across every country. If the community is plush, you will definitely pay more due to higher property tax rate the home owners are paying to the government.
iii. Whether the accommodation is fully furnished, Semi furnished or Unfurnished. This will be purely based on your preference. You will definitely pay more with furnished apartment and pay less with the unfurnished ones.
iv. Access to a public transport. This is a tricky one. Usually localities without a public transport services ideally should be less expensive. There again if you are not familiar with the renting norm within the locality, you may end up paying even more.
B. Can you move in with your pet or not? This will usually depend on the nature of the house. If the house comes with a self-compound, you can move in with your pet.
C. Are you likely to employ the services of a house help? If you answered yes to this question, be prepared to pay more. Usually, buildings with outer house come with higher rental value. It is considered as a luxury.
D. Do you prefer City Center or out of town environment? Accommodations closer to city centers appear to be more expensive due to close proximity to work environments and usually have a much higher demand rate.
E. Do you require special social amenities like Kids play ground, Shopping mall etc. This will also be solely due personal preferences. Communities with these amenities will appear to be much more expensive.
Below is a table of various localities within the capital city Accra for unfurnished two bedroom accommodations;
No. | Localities | Min. Price ($) | Max. Price ($) |
1 | Dansoman | 82.00 | 110.00 |
2 | Achimota | 95.00 | 170.00 |
3 | Adenta, Madina, Ashale Botwe | 80.00 | 410.00 |
4 | East Legon | 800.00 | 1,400.00 |
5 | Dzorwulu | 600.00 | 950.00 |
6 | Airport Residential Area | 3,600.00 | 4,300.00 |
7 | Labone | 1,700.00 | 3,800.00 |
8 | Cantonments | 3,600.00 | 4,300.00 |
The above prices quoted are primarily based on my personal experiences and that of some few friends who are real estate agents.
Home renting can be quite a frustrating and time-consuming ordeal and without proper preparation, it will take you forever to rent one. These guidelines can help make your property search easier and satisfactory.