{
  "id": 13697345,
  "title": "UN expert urges government to back Rent Control Department to stop arbitrary rent hikes",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/11/un-expert-urges-government-to-back-rent-control-department-to-stop",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-11T10:45:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Adom Online",
    "slug": "adom-online",
    "url": "https://www.adomonline.com/un-expert-urges-government-to-back-rent-control-department-to-stop-arbitrary-rent-hikes/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A United Nations housing expert has urged the Ghanaian government to provide the Rent Control Department with the necessary resources and support to address the issue of arbitrary rent hikes, which are placing pressure on tenants. Koldo Casla, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing, made this appeal during a 12-day official visit to Ghana. Casla highlighted that formal housing has become unaffordable for many Ghanaians, leading them to settle in informal areas. While visiting Accra, he observed construction and physical transformations taking place in the city center, accompanied by billboards promoting real estate investments with prices far beyond the average Ghanaian's financial capacity. He emphasized that approximately 31 percent of the urban population resides in informal settlements. Casla suggested that the authorities should acknowledge the high cost of formal housing as a major obstacle for many people and listen more attentively to the concerns of individuals living in poverty when creating public housing policies. The construction sector in Ghana employs hundreds of thousands of people and contributes an estimated 7 to 15 percent of the country's GDP.",
  "summary": "A United Nations housing expert has asked government to give the Rent Control Department the logistics and resources it needs to do its work, saying tenants are under pressure from arbitrary rent increases. Koldo Casla, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing, also called for stronger institutional mechanisms to monitor rents and […]",
  "key_points": [
    "UN expert urges Ghana to support Rent Control Department",
    "Arbitrary rent hikes pressure tenants, 31% in informal settlements",
    "Authorities should address housing costs and poverty concerns"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}