Tamale is the capital of Ghana's Northern Region and sits in the Kingdom of Dagbon. Most land here belongs to a chieftaincy (known as skin land) and not to a private owner, so what a buyer gets is a long lease, never a freehold, and that lease then has to be registered at the Lands Commission. For rentals, Ghanaian law caps the advance rent a landlord may ask for. This page gathers the listings published in Tamale and, further down, the Ghanaian rules and the checks specific to the city before you sign anything.
No listings found in Tamale yet. Check back soon!
A city of customary land
In Tamale, land usually belongs to a chieftaincy, not to an individual. The city is the capital of the Northern Region and lies in the Kingdom of Dagbon (Wikipedia, Tamale). When the regional lands commission was inaugurated in Tamale in July 2021, the Lands Minister noted that most land in the region is held by skins (the northern chieftaincies) and families (Graphic Online, 29 July 2021).
The 1992 Constitution of Ghana treats these lands like the stool lands of the south: article 295 states that "stool" includes a skin. Three things follow for anyone looking at a plot:
- No freehold. Article 267(5) bars the creation of a freehold in stool land. The Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036) repeats the ban for stool, skin, clan and family land, and the Lands Commission does not register an instrument that says otherwise, according to the law firm Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah. What you get is a leasehold, one of the six interests listed in section 1 of the Land Act.
- A fixed term. Article 266 of the Constitution limits a lease granted to a non-citizen to fifty years at any one time. The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) gives 99 years for Ghanaians.
- Public oversight. Under article 267(3), no stool land can be disposed of or developed unless the Regional Lands Commission certifies that it fits the approved development plan for the area.
Buying land in Tamale: the steps
The GIPC sets out the procedure as follows, without publishing fees or processing times:
- Deal with the owner recognised by law and run an official search on the plot.
- Get a site plan certified by a licensed surveyor and by the Regional Surveyor.
- Sign the indenture in three copies, with two witnesses for each party, endorsed by a solicitor.
- Lodge the documents with the Lands Commission, which grants concurrence for stool land.
- Have the document stamped, then registered at the Deeds Registry of the Lands Commission.
Ask the Lands Commission office in Tamale for the fees of the day. On timing, the only public indication we found is a target: in July 2021 the Minister asked the regional commission to register land within 30 days (Graphic Online). That is not a guaranteed turnaround.
What research reports in Tamale
A survey of 51 people in Tamale (traditional leaders, people who had registered land, Lands Commission heads) lists the cost of registration, corruption, poor record-keeping of land transactions and unidentified traditional land boundaries among the problems (Amakye and Ameyibor, 2023). Another study describes speculative and informal land markets, and chiefs administering urban land for personal gain (Fuseini, African Studies, 2021). Two habits follow: have the plot surveyed by a licensed surveyor before any payment, and check with the Lands Commission that the person granting the land is the one entitled to do so. A Ghanaian lawyer carries out these checks and drafts the indenture.
Renting in Tamale: advance rent
A landlord may not demand more than six months of rent in advance. That is the position of the Rent Control Department, relying on the Rent Act, 1963 (Act 220): its Acting Rent Commissioner announced a move to full enforcement from 1 April, with a fine of up to 500 penalty units, up to two years in prison, or both, for landlords who break the rule (Ghanaian Times, 20 March 2026). The same report notes that advances of one to two years are still being asked for. We found no published reference rents for Tamale: the rents in the listings above are the only ones this page shows.
Getting your bearings
Tamale Metropolitan District had 374,744 residents at the 2021 census, up from 223,252 in 2010 (City Population, from Ghana Statistical Service data). Since 24 June 2012 the northern part of the built-up area has been a separate district, Sagnarigu (Wikipedia, Tamale Metropolitan District), so an address described as "Tamale" may fall under a different local authority: check this before any building application. The district combines urban areas such as Lamashegu and Education Ridge, where schools are concentrated, with communities such as Wamale, Kpanvo and Gbalahi. The city hosts the University for Development Studies, Tamale Technical University, Tamale Teaching Hospital and an international airport (Wikipedia).
On new housing, the organisation Reall records a scheme of 100 two-bedroom houses (65 m²) built by Afreh Group on 12 hectares about 10 km from the city centre, shown as completed (Reall, page updated 21 October 2025).
On Imonga
Tamale listings appear at the top of this page, priced in cedis. To compare with other Ghanaian cities, see the listings in Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi.
Other cities in Ghana
Real estate guide for Tamale
Buying and renting steps, documents and pitfalls to avoid: read the guide before you decide.
FAQ: real estate in Tamale
Can you own land outright in Tamale?
As a rule, no. Most land in the region belongs to chieftaincies (skin lands) or families. Article 267(5) of the Constitution of Ghana bars the creation of a freehold in such land, and the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036) repeats the ban. The buyer receives a long lease, which should be registered at the Lands Commission. Have a Ghanaian lawyer review the indenture.
Can a foreigner or a diaspora buyer without Ghanaian citizenship acquire land in Tamale?
Yes, but only as a lease. Article 266 of the Constitution of Ghana rules out any freehold for a non-citizen and limits the lease to fifty years at any one time. The process involves a site plan certified by a licensed surveyor, an indenture endorsed by a solicitor, then concurrence and registration at the Lands Commission. A Ghanaian lawyer can confirm how the rule applies to your citizenship status.
How many months of advance rent can a landlord ask for in Tamale?
No more than six months, according to the Rent Control Department, which relies on the Rent Act, 1963 (Act 220) and announced in March 2026 that landlords exceeding the cap would be prosecuted (Ghanaian Times, 20 March 2026). In practice longer advances are still requested. A tenant who disagrees can report the case to the Rent Control Department.
How do you check that a plot in Tamale has not already been allocated to someone else?
Run an official search at the Lands Commission, whose regional office is in Tamale, before paying anything. Have the plot surveyed by a licensed surveyor, since studies carried out in Tamale report unidentified customary boundaries and poor record-keeping of land transactions. Also check that the person granting the land is entitled to do so. A Ghanaian lawyer can carry out these checks.
What do land and rents cost in Tamale?
We found no official source publishing reference prices for Tamale, and we do not make any up. The only prices shown here are those of the listings published on this page, in cedis, when there are any. For a plot, ask the chieftaincy or the seller for the amount in writing, and ask the Lands Commission counter for the registration fees.