Suspend hostel fee hikes now - Rent Commissioner directs tertiary school operators

The Office of the Rent Commissioner and the Rent Control Department have directed all private hostel owners, facility managers, operators and stakeholders within the student accommodation sector to place a temporary hold on all or any intended or proposed increment in hostel accommodation fees for the 2026/2027 academic year until further notice. 

The two state agencies also convened a meeting with all stakeholders to discuss the current development within the student accommodation sector and to collectively deliberate on sustainable, fair and lawful measures regarding hostel pricing and standards.

The meeting will also provide an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss concerns relating to hostel fee increments, review compliance with existing rent regulations and consumer protection provisions, explore practical solutions to ensure affordability and fairness to promote transparency and accountability within the student hostel accommodation.

The Rent Commissioner’s Office and the Department said the action followed recent continuous hikes in hostel accommodation fees across private hostels within and around tertiary institutions in the country.

“These persistent increments have become a matter of urgent public concern due to the economic burden placed on students, parents and guardians,” the two offices said in a joint statement signed by the acting Rent Commissioner and Head of the Rent Control Department, Frederick Opoku. 

hey expressed worry that many of the hostels were not registered, warning that such facilities would be shut down.

Mr Opoku said the Office of the Rent Commission would work with the Ghana Tourism Authority, which is responsible for their registration, to identify the dodgy ones and those fleecing clients, so as to close them down.

Hostel fees

Fees advertised on their websites show varying rates of fees for different hostels and based on the number of persons in a cubicle.

At Pentagon Hostel at the University of Ghana (UG), which has a student population capacity of about 6,000 made up of the New and Old Pentagon hostels, students pay GH¢27,769 and GH¢22,870 respectively for one-in-a-room accommodation with air conditioner.

For one-in-a-room accommodation without air conditioner, students pay GH¢18,958 and GH¢16,389 for the New and Old Pentagon hostels respectively.

Two students in one room with air conditioner pay GH¢16,389 and GH¢12,701 respectively for the New and Old Pentagon hostels, while two students in one room without air conditioner pay GH¢10,257.

Four students in one room each pays GH¢6,663 and GH¢5,599 respectively for accommodation at the New and Old Pentagon hostels.

For international students, one-in-a-room accommodation with air conditioner costs GH¢35,320, while one-in-a-room accommodation without air conditioner costs GH¢27,320.

Two students in one room with air conditioner pay GH¢22,080, while two students in one room without air conditioner pay GH¢17,456. Two students in one room without air conditioner at the Old Pentagon hostel pay GH¢15,896.

Four students in one room pay GH¢9,576 and GH¢8,576 respectively at the New and Old Pentagon hostels.

The fees at Pentagon Hostel cover electricity, water, standby generator services, study rooms, free WiFi, television rooms with DSTV, restaurants, basketball courts, parking space, security services and salons.

At Bani Hostel, two students in one self-contained annex room pay GH¢8,400.

Two students in one room with air conditioner pay between GH¢9,000 and GH¢10,000.

One student in a room pays GH¢9,000 for a small room and GH¢9,600 for a bigger room.

One student in a room with balcony kitchenette pays GH¢10,400, while one student in a room with kitchen pays GH¢11,200.

One student in a room with air conditioner and shared kitchen pays GH¢12,000, while one student in a room with air conditioner and kitchen pays GH¢14,000.

Four students in one self-contained room at Bani Hostel pay GH¢5,500.

At Vikings Hostel at Legon, fees for the academic year range from GH¢6,603 to GH¢51,300 depending on the type of room selected by students.

At Evandy Hostel, accommodation fees range between GH¢7,800 and GH¢20,000 depending on the type of room selected.

At James Top Nelson Yankah Hall, fees range between GH¢13,900 for two students in one self-contained room and  GH¢8,260 for four students in one self-contained room.

Four students in one room with shared facilities pay GH¢6,700, while eight students in one room with shared facilities also pay GH¢6,700.

At the Korle Bu Hostel for international students, accommodation fees range from $510 to $750 per semester for single occupancy and from $510 to $945 per semester for double occupancy.

Some private universities in Accra also charge between GH¢24,500 and GH¢49,500 for a single person in an air-conditioned apartment.

At the Accra Technical University, there are two hostels on the school premises, a new hostel and the old hostel.

For the new, students pay GH¢4,800 for one in a room, GH¢4,200 for two in a room, GH¢3,800 for four in a room, GH¢2,800 for six occupancy per room and GH¢2,500 for eight persons in a room for the year, whereas the old hostel, which accommodates eight in a room, requires each student to part with GH¢2,200, for the academic year.

At the Ghana Hostels at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), students pay GH¢6,999 when two are in a room for the academic year. Other private hostels charge between GH¢4,000 and GH¢7,000 for the year.

The Supernuation Hostel also at UCC charges GH¢9,000 for two students in a room and four persons in a room goes for GH¢4,500 for a year.

At the Cape Coast Technical University, students pay GH¢2,000 for four in a room for the academic year, with private hostels charging between GH¢3,500 and GH¢10,000 for the year.

KNUST

At the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), hostels located outside campus require students to pay more than GH¢5,000 per head if they are four in a room, and for three students sharing a single room, the fees range between GH¢6,000 per head and GH¢7,000 for the year.

On campus

If located on campus, KNUST hostels are moderate. For six persons in a room, the fee is GH¢2,500 per head for the year, when four share a single room, each pays between GH¢3,000 and GH¢3,840 cedis per head.

When located outside campus, hostels cost more than GH¢5,000 per head depending on how many students occupy a room.

While some of the hostels fees cover utility costs, others defer that to the student (occupants) to settle.

Rent Commissioner

The Office of the Rent Commissioner and the Rent Control Department explained that “The situation, if not properly regulated and managed, may adversely affect access to accommodation and the general welfare of students pursuing higher education.”

The statement said the Office of the Rent Commissioner, together with the Rent Control Department, had therefore instructed all stakeholders within the student accommodation sector to place a temporary hold on all proposed fee increments.

Stakeholder engagement

The statement urged all stakeholders to attend the meeting and cooperate fully with the directive in the interest of students, parents, educational institutions and national development.

The statement also reaffirmed the commitment of the Office of the Rent Commissioner and the Rent Control Department to ensuring fairness, transparency and responsible regulation within the rental and accommodation sector across the country.