How a Young Ghanaian Found His First Rental Apartment in Accra
Adinan Yussif’s approach to finding his starter place was unconventional. It also helped him beat out the expensive rental market in Accra, Ghana.
Adinan Yussif found his flat by skipping expensive house agents, an unconventional decision that paid off.
My First Place is a subseries that follows young Africans across the continent as they navigate the milestone of securing and setting up their first independent living space. It is an offshoot of our ongoing housing series, This Place Called Home.
"I went to East Legon and Adjiringano. I met with Okada riders and talked to them, or just anybody who lived in the area I wanted to rent from," Yussif tells OkayAfrica. "They would direct me to any leads they had, and I'd walk around, going from house to house to see if there was accommodation. All that process took eight months, but I was able to find something." It was a one-bedroom in East Legon, which he says he got at a steal.
Yussif took this unconventional route for two major reasons: house agents can sometimes inflate prices and charge exorbitant commission fees, and a few years ago, he had learned about the high rate of scams and fraud prevalent among housing agents.
Although Yussif's plan paid off, it remains uncommon and also indicative of the lengths to which young Africans are going to beat the high rental market. In Ghana, where a housing crisis is pushing young people out of the housing market, the average rent price typically ranges from GHS 250 ($19) to GHS 1,000 ($78) per month. While this fee may seem paltry for a monthly charge, homeowners often require prospective tenants to pay a year or two upfront.
In Yussif's case, for the GHS 800 one-bedroom apartment he ended up finding in East Legon, a relatively highbrow area in Accra, he was required to pay two years' rent upfront. That brought the total he paid to GHS 19,200 ($1,500). It is an expensive and highly demanding payment structure in a country where the average monthly salary is GHS 2,000. For young Ghanaians like Yussif, that fee constitutes a significant portion of their salaries, further eroding their already meager living wages.
"The salary pool in Ghana is very bad. And it's not feasible considering the high cost of living," Yussif says. "Food is costly, you have bills to pay, you have transport to cover. You can spend about GHS 2,000 on food alone each month. Even if you are trying to be very economical."
According to Yussif, he was only able to afford his new place because he had been saving, had lived with his parents, and had a side hustle in addition to his job. Yussif also notes that the nature of his work, being partially remote, allowed him to find his new apartment himself and avoid high agent fees, which are typically around 10 percent of the rent.
"I don't expect someone who isn't working remotely to be able to do this. Someone who's working 8 to 5 in a stationary place would have to resort to agents. No matter the cost they have to pay, because they don't really have time."
While looking for a house, Yussif estimates that he knocked on at least 20-25 houses that he learned had available rooms for rent. "It wasn't easy at all," he admits. Alongside the physical stress of going from house to house, Yussif says he also faced profiling issues and house owners regarding him with suspicion. "They see you and automatically become defensive. They don't even know what you are there to ask them, but they get all defensive until they know what brought you to their homes," he says.
Even after learning his intentions, Yussif says many were not receptive, finding it odd that a prospective tenant was directly searching for his own home instead of going through an agent, which is standard practice.
Since moving in, Yussif has spent an additional GHS 7,000 on sparsely furnishing his one-bedroom apartment. The money could only cover essentials, including painting, a bed, and minimal furniture. "Just the basic things to get me going. Maybe later, when I get enough money, I'll try to get the rest of the things."
For Yussif, living alone was significant for personal reasons tied to his desire for independence. However, many young people across West Africa avoid high rental prices by sharing apartments with peers. In some instances, young individuals opt to continue living with their parents or relatives.
Moving into his first apartment has been an integral step for Yussif in assuming adulthood. Although he was shocked by many aspects of living alone, it has contributed to a necessary sense of responsibility.
"The good thing is that I can plan my life properly," Yussif says. "I used to spend without thinking, but now I keep an eye on my monthly expenses, including utilities and everything else. I set aside that money first. Once I've accounted for those essential expenses, only then do I start considering any extra spending."
And what advice would he give to young people like himself, considering setting up their first place? In addition to staying with family or relatives for as long as possible while entering the job market, Yussif adds that it's essential to "Save money and cut costs."
