Living in East Legon: rent, traffic, schools and what it is really like

East Legon is the address Accra aspires to. Over the last two decades it has gone from a quiet suburb beside the university to the city’s default answer for anyone with money to spend and a social life after dark.

It has also grown faster than its roads, and the traffic is the thing every resident mentions first.

At a glance

The district figures describe the whole assembly, which also holds Airport Residential, Roman Ridge and Dzorwulu. Ayawaso West Wuogon Municipal counted 75,303 people in the 2021 census.

Which East Legon

The name has spread. Estate developers attach it to anything within reach, and “East Legon” on a listing can mean the established streets close to the university or a new estate a long drive further east.

Ask for the digital address before you view anything. A GhanaPostGPS code tells you exactly where a house is, and the commute from the original East Legon and from its newer extensions are not the same commute.

— Your digital address

Rent and housing

East Legon sits in the top rent band, alongside Cantonments and Airport Residential, though with far more variation inside it. Expect:

• Large detached houses and gated townhouse developments
• Newer apartment blocks with service charges for security and a generator
• Boys quarters behind the larger houses, which are how many people afford the address

Rent at the upper end is often quoted in dollars. Ask for a cedi price.

— Rent in Accra, every district ranked — The rent advance

Getting around

The roads are the story. East Legon’s growth has pushed traffic onto a small number of routes in and out, and they are slow at the hours everyone uses them.

• Into the centre: expect the journey to take several times as long at 7am as at 11am. Test it at the hour you would actually make it.
• The airport is close, which is part of the appeal for frequent flyers.
• Trotros serve the main roads well. Inside the estates, you will need a car, a ride-hailing app or an okada.

— Getting around Accra — Ride-hailing and delivery apps

Schools and healthcare

Universities. The University of Ghana at Legon is on the doorstep, with GIMPA and UPSA close by. That brings students, hostels and a steady rental market at the cheaper end.

Schools. A large number of private schools, from creches up, many of them new. Visit rather than trust a website, and ask what the fees include.

Hospitals. The University of Ghana Medical Centre at Legon is a major teaching hospital, and there are private clinics throughout.

— Schools in Accra — Hospitals in Accra

Power, water and flooding

• Power is on prepaid ECG meters, like almost everywhere. Larger houses and newer blocks usually have a generator, which is worth confirming and worth asking who pays to fuel.
• Water varies street by street. Many houses rely on a polytank and a tanker, or a borehole. Ask neighbours how often the tap actually runs.
• Flooding affects low-lying streets in the rains. Look at the gutters, and ask what happened in June.

— Electricity and dumsor — Water in Accra

Daily life

• Food and nightlife are the reason many people choose it: restaurants, bars, lounges and cafes in quantity.
• Shopping: malls and supermarkets, and Madina market a short trip north.
• Culture: the Nubuke Foundation shows contemporary Ghanaian art.
• Gyms and fitness studios are everywhere.

— Accra nightlife — Plan a night out

Who it suits

It suits people who want new-build housing, a social life close to home, and quick access to the airport, and who can work flexible hours or near home.

It does not suit anyone commuting into the centre at rush hour on a fixed schedule, or anyone who wants a quiet street and a short walk to everything.

Before you sign

1. Get the digital address, and check which East Legon it really is
2. Drive the commute at rush hour, not on a Sunday
3. Ask about water and generator costs, and who pays them
4. Check the title if anything about the landlord seems unusual
5. Get the advance in writing, with a receipt

— Where to live in Accra — Housing and land scams — Your tenancy agreement