"Don’t Rent Houses to Foreigners without Covid-19 Clearance" - Works and Housing Minister

The government of Ghana has asked all landlords as a mandatory requirement to inspect the COVID-19 status of all foreign nationals before renting out properties to them.

This is according to the Works and Housing Minister, Samuel Atta Akyea who was speaking during a press briefing on Tuesday, April 28, 2020.

“Landlords must also be wary of potential tenants from foreign countries. It is very mandatory to insist that without a COVID-19 negative clearance the landlord should not rent out the premises. We all know that this pandemic has been imported so be careful that in the name of dollars you do not go and bring in a foreigner who hasn’t gotten clearance that he or she is not infected by the disease to come and live in the premises. I need not remind you that the virus is an importation from foreigners and those who had contacts with them prior to the lockdown.”

The Minister also hinted at government’s intention to absorb rent of tenants who face eviction due to financial challanges following the covid-19 outbreak.

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“If someone should push that if people have no place to live as a direct result of the COVID-19 challenges should have their rent paid, we should be able to absorb it. We have the financial space,” Mr. Atta Akyea stated.

The Minister, however, said his office was yet “to hear of the wholesale eviction of tenants.”

If any reports, came to his attention, he said his outfit “will get the feedback and handle it.”

“Let’s see if there are numbers. We shouldn’t just wave our hands and say we should pay the rent of people who are suffering as a result of the COVID-19 numbers but if we see the numbers, we will see what we can do.”