How to avoid rental scams in Kenya

• The price is far below other homes of the same size in the same area.
• Someone demands money before giving clear details or allowing you to check the home and their authority to let it.
• The person says they are away and cannot show you the house.
• You are rushed: "many people want it, pay today".
• The photos look like a hotel or appear on other adverts with different prices.

• Visit the house in person and go inside.
• Ask the caretaker or neighbours who owns or manages the building.
• Get a written tenancy agreement with names and ID numbers.
• Confirm who is entitled to receive the money. A business name or a bank account alone does not prove that an offer is genuine.
• Agree any viewing fee in writing. A fee alone is not proof of a scam, but pressure to pay before checks is a warning sign.

Compare the same area, home size and furnished or unfurnished status. Our price guide uses asking prices from live Meridian Estates listings, not agreed rents or the whole Nairobi market.

A low price is a reason to ask questions, not proof of fraud. A price that looks normal is not proof of safety either.

Save the advert, the listing link, the phone number, your messages and any receipt. Ask who owns or manages the home and confirm the person showing it has permission to let it. Do not publish identity documents or send them to people whose role you have not checked.