Young Ghanaian Couple Pay GH₵36k For Rent Only To Be Told It's For A Different Owner

• A young family of four in Ghana attempted to rent a house worth GH₵36k a year at Spintex Road in Accra
• The couple went to the house for the keys after making the full payment only to get there and find out the room is for another person
• Social media users have been raged by the story with many giving tips on how to stay safe in such circumstances

A young Ghanaian couple with their two children has reportedly been duped off GH₵36,000 while they were attempting to rent a decent apartment for one year.

In a narration by Mabel Aku Baneseh on her verified Facebook handle, the three-bedroom apartment the young family wanted to rent was located at Spintex Road.

"Payment was made via Stanbic Bank to a GT Bank Account last Tuesday in two tranches - 20,000 and 16,000. The couple visited the site on Saturday to collect the keys only to meet a caretaker claiming the place was not up for rent," the narrator recounted.

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Mabel Aku Baneseh further narrated:

"A complaint has been lodged with the Police. Please be extra vigilant out there because criminals are getting more daring and very sophisticated. The family engaged an estate agent. He has also turned off his phone".

Comments from social media users

Ghanaians had a lot to say after reading the full account online.

Barima Osei Tutu indicated:

It's a cabal, the caretaker is part, he will leave the place for the fraudsters to show u round in the name of being agents, after that he will resurface please get him arrested he is part

Samuel Norman mentioned:

Have you people seen the importance of Estate Agents? I'm an Estate Agent and I do background checks well before marketing rooms, houses and lands for owners. Likewise I screen tenants before allowing them to rent properties so I won't get into trouble from both sides.

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Jeremiah Buabeng stated:

I am beginning to think that we should create a National Rent Registry to keep a database for tenants and landlords. So there is a place you can go to check the legitimacy of a property that is up for rent and who the owner is, and also get information on tenants and their rent history. We need to create systems that make life easy and protect our people.

Important Tips to Know Before You Rent Out Your Home in Ghana

As YEN.com.gh previously reported, the rental sector in Ghana is a hot cake.

Many landlords are swimming in money as they consistently cash out on a year or two's rent advance.

For those giving out their properties for short stays such as Airbnb, their "cocoa season" is around the corner as December is fast approaching.

Source: YEN.com.gh