Real estate in Tema

A city built with its port, on land managed by TDC

Tema grew around its port: construction began in 1954 and regular traffic started after the 1962 commissioning, according to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority history page. The city is read by numbers: Community 1, Community 7, Community 25, alongside Tema Newtown and the Heavy Industrial Area.

Much of the land falls under TDC Ghana Ltd. The company was set up in 1952 by an Act of Parliament to plan and develop about 63 square miles of public land, the Tema Acquisition Area, which it manages under a 125-year lease, according to the State Interests and Governance Authority listing. TDC states that this lease was renewed for 125 years with effect from 1 January 2024 (Graphic Online, 19 August 2026). Inside that area the occupier is a lessee: they hold a leasehold interest and owe ground rent to TDC.

TDC or the Metropolitan Assembly: who issues what

Building permits come from the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA). In 2026, TDC and the TMA disagreed publicly over their respective powers. A letter from the Presidency dated 28 August 2026 restated that the Assembly is the local planning authority, with the legal mandate to issue development and building permits within its jurisdiction, and that TDC projects must conform to its regulations (MyJoyOnline, 3 September 2026). For a property in Tema, ask for two sets of papers: the lease documents issued by TDC and the permit issued by the Assembly that covers the plot.

What to check before buying in Tema

• Ground rent. In May 2026, TDC demanded payment of outstanding ground rent across the Tema Acquisition Area, gave defaulters 30 days and announced an enforcement exercise (Citi Newsroom, 6 May 2026). Ask the seller for the receipts.
• Community 25, Community 26, Gulf City and Kpone. In April 2024, TDC told lessees in these areas not to pay ground rent to the Prampram Land Secretariat, which was demanding it, and to pay TDC instead (Ghana News Agency, 4 April 2024). Two bodies have claimed that payment, so get written confirmation of who the lessor of the plot is.
• Lessor's consent. Where a lease bars assignment or subletting without consent, the transaction cannot be registered until the lessor's consent is produced. The lessor has three months to answer in writing, after which consent is deemed granted (section 142 of the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036)).
• Official search. Anyone can apply to the Lands Commission for an official search on a parcel. The report is issued within fourteen days of paying the prescribed fees (section 130 of the Land Act, 2020).
• The deed. In Ghana a conveyance may only be prepared by a legal practitioner (section 33 of the same Act). A transfer must be in writing and signed (section 35). In a title registration district, the instrument is presented for registration within three months of execution (section 133).
• Foreign buyers. A person who is not a citizen of Ghana cannot be granted a freehold, and their lease cannot exceed fifty years at any one time. A company with more than forty percent of its equity held by non-citizens is treated the same way (section 10 of the Land Act, 2020).
• Water. On 29 June 2026, after hours of heavy rainfall, flooding at varying levels hit Communities 7 and 8, Tema Newtown, Lashibi, Dawhenya and Kpone, and the Tema-Aflao Highway was overtopped at Dawhenya (Ghana News Agency, 29 June 2026). Ask neighbours how the last rainy seasons went.

These rules should be read with a lawyer admitted in Ghana, who checks the head lease, the consents and the registration.

Renting in Tema: advance rent

Advance rent should not exceed six months. The Acting Rent Commissioner said so when announcing full enforcement of the Rent Act, 1963 (Act 220) from 1 April 2026 (Ghanaian Times, 20 March 2026). Rents themselves are negotiated: no listings are shown on this page at the time of writing, so compare several offers obtained from landlords or agents and ask for a written tenancy agreement. If a dispute arises, the Rent Control Department is the body to contact.

New developments listed in Tema

Imonga lists new developments located in Community 25, Community 26 and the Heavy Industrial Area: gated communities, townhomes, bungalows, apartments and serviced plots. The developers named are Devtraco Limited, Libi Homes, Nestas Homes, Wenamy Ghana Ltd., Capemay Properties Ghana and The Greens (Ghana). At the time of writing (10 October 2026), several are under construction or in pre-sale. For a unit that is not yet built, the contract, the stage payments and the handover date are the points to go through with your lawyer.

To compare with the rest of the country, see the pages for property in Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi.