Residents of Nairobi’s affluent neighborhoods, including Kilimani, Lavington, Karen, and Westlands, are raising concerns about significant rent increases imposed by their landlords. They attribute the rising rents to an influx of immigrants, particularly from Ethiopia and Sudan, which they believe has driven up demand for housing in these areas.
The residents argue that the increased demand has given landlords the leverage to hike rents substantially, making it increasingly difficult for long-term tenants to afford living in these upscale neighborhoods. They express frustration over the lack of regulatory measures to control such rent hikes and maintain affordability for residents.
This situation highlights the broader economic and social dynamics at play in Nairobi’s real estate market, where immigration patterns can have a direct impact on housing costs. The residents are calling for more oversight and regulation to ensure fair and sustainable rent practices in these sought-after areas.
“The houses are currently expensive here in Kilimani. A one-bedroom house that used to go for Ksh.25,000 is now ranging at Ksh.45,000, and a two-bedroom house that was going for Ksh.35,000 has shifted to over Ksh.70,000. This is because many Ethiopians and Sudanese have invaded these estates offering huge sums of money, thereby causing rental prices to rise rapidly,” says Emily.
This comes following the government’s decision to remove all travel regulations across the borders with neighboring countries as a way to usher in investors and tourists who might have an interest in investing within the country to boost the country’s economy.
“We Kenyans are like the current refugees here in Nairobi because we can’t find houses in these estates. The tenants have noticed new customers who pay more than expected. Two days ago, I got a house in Lavington and after paying for two months’ rent, later at night, I received a message from my landlord reversing the money I had sent, claiming that the house had been paid for fully for seven months by an Ethiopian, which we can’t afford as low-income earners,” says Victor Yassin.
Henry Ochieng, an expert and CEO from the Kenya Alliance and Residence Association of Kenya, says that indeed the cost of renting houses has spiked here in Nairobi, and that’s because of the demand and supply.
“As it is now, rents have shot up, and this is because of the economic situation in the country. But when it’s unreasonably high like it seems, we can step in and see how best to regulate it because it’s already a mechanism for knowing the level of rent for a particular estate or area,” says Henry.
He added: “On the other hand, those in areas that can’t afford to pay the rent should therefore vacate and look for areas that they can best afford. From the angle of influx, we should only consider the safety of our members. We’ve received some complaints, and if it’s going to affect a significant population, we will have to petition the government to have a conversation about it and see how we can go about it.”
The affected residents now want the government to come out and address the matter, noting that they are suffering.
