How to Handle a Dispute With Your Landlord or Tenant

Even in a well-functioning tenancy, disagreements happen — a delayed repair, a disputed deposit deduction, a disagreement over a rent increase. Most of these disputes are resolvable without escalating into a serious legal battle, provided both parties approach the situation calmly and follow a sensible process. Here's a practical guide...

Kitengela: Why It's Attracting First-Time Buyers

Thirty years ago, Kitengela was Maasai group ranch land on the far southern edge of Nairobi's reach. Today it's a bustling suburban town with malls, international schools, and one of the strongest value propositions in the entire Nairobi Metropolitan Area — a place where a 4-bedroom maisonette in a gated...

Balancing Natural Light and Privacy in a Nairobi Apartment

Natural light transforms how an apartment feels — brighter, more spacious, more energizing to live in. But in Nairobi's increasingly dense apartment buildings, where units often face neighbouring buildings, busy streets, or shared compounds at close range, maximizing light without sacrificing privacy is a genuine design challenge. Here's how to...

Construction Costs in Kenya: What's Driving Prices Up in 2026

If you've priced out a construction project recently and the numbers came back higher than you expected, you're not imagining it. Kenya's construction costs jumped sharply in the second quarter of 2026 — the steepest quarterly increase in nearly four years — driven by a combination of fuel prices, material...

What Is a Sinking Fund, and Why Your Apartment Building Needs One

When evaluating an apartment to buy, most buyers focus on the unit itself — layout, finishes, price per square metre. Few ask about the building's sinking fund, yet this single detail can significantly affect both your future costs and the building's long-term value. Here's what a sinking fund actually is,...

Building to Rent: A Cost Breakdown for First-Time Developers

For landowners with capital and a plot in the right location, building rental units from scratch can generate significantly better long-term returns than buying an existing property to rent out — but it's also a considerably more complex, capital-intensive, and risk-laden undertaking. First-time developers frequently underestimate both the true cost...

Syokimau and Athi River: Nairobi's Affordable Commuter Belt

As Nairobi's central suburbs have grown increasingly expensive, the corridor along Mombasa Road — anchored by Syokimau and Athi River — has emerged as one of the city's most practical answers to the affordability question. Both towns sit roughly 25–30km southeast of the CBD, both benefit from the Nairobi Commuter...

Subletting in Kenya: Is It Legal, and How Should You Do It?

Subletting — renting out all or part of a property you're already renting to someone else — is common in Kenya, particularly among tenants traveling for extended periods, sharing costs with a roommate, or renting out a spare room. But subletting without following proper process can create real legal and...

Joint Ownership of Property in Kenya: Rights and Risks

Buying property jointly — with a spouse, sibling, friend, or business partner — is increasingly common in Kenya, often as a way to pool resources and afford a property that would be out of reach individually. But joint ownership carries specific legal implications that many co-owners don't fully understand until...

How Interest Rate Changes Affect Kenyan Mortgage Borrowers

Kenya's interest rate environment has shifted meaningfully over the past year. After the double-digit Central Bank Rate levels seen through 2024 and much of 2025, the Central Bank of Kenya cut its benchmark rate to 8.75% in February 2026 — its tenth consecutive rate cut. For anyone with an existing...

Renovation Ideas That Actually Increase Your Property's Value

Not every renovation pays for itself. Some upgrades genuinely increase a property's resale price or achievable rent well beyond their cost — others look impressive but add little real value, or even actively narrow the pool of interested buyers or tenants. Knowing the difference before spending significant money on renovations...

Lavington: Nairobi's Quiet Favorite for Families

Lavington rarely dominates Nairobi property headlines the way Kilimani or Westlands do — and that's part of its appeal. It's a genuinely established, garden-style suburb that quietly delivers what many families and professionals actually want: more space, mature greenery, top-tier schools, and a short commute to both the CBD and...