Single room

A single room gives you one private space to sleep and keep your things. Everything else is shared. In a typical compound house several households live in rooms arranged around a courtyard, and they use common bathrooms, toilets and a cooking area.

Because the facilities are shared, the rent is lower than for a self-contained unit. That makes the single room a common choice for students, young workers and people new to a city.

The tenancy is still a tenancy under the Rent Act. Monthly tenants are entitled to a rent card from the landlord, the tenancy should be registered with Rent Control, and the rules on advance rent apply. Landlords in compound houses are often resident, so house rules on visitors, water use and cleaning are usually agreed informally. Ask for them in writing if they matter to you.

Listings for single rooms are less common online than for self-contained units, because many are let by word of mouth or through local agents. When you do find one advertised, the description may simply say "room" or "single room".

Moving on. Many tenants move from a single room to a self-contain or a chamber and hall as their budget grows. When you compare, count the cost of shared utilities and the time spent queuing for facilities as well as the rent.

Single rooms in compound houses are found in every region. In central Accra and Kumasi many compound houses are old family houses, so the person collecting rent may be a family member rather than a sole owner. In newer suburbs, single rooms are less common than self-contained units, because developers build rooms with private facilities.