Renting Nightmares and Dealing with them

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Ideally, Kenyans loathe renting but most of us can’t afford to build nor buy a house hence we are stuck renting. However, renting can be a real dream as long as you know how to handle these challenges.

Although renting offers its fair share of pros; with this great flexibility in your living comes a unique set of cons and most of which are out of our control. Ama aje?

Here are a few tips to help you face the top renting troubles.

1. Pest infestation

Pests are an all-too-common occurrence for Kenyan renters. They can hide in your drains, in your kitchen cabinets and sometimes even on your bed(kunguni).

To prevent pests in the first place, we would suggest keeping your home clean and properly storing all food in plastic containers. There are also many DIY remedies to get rid of pests, such as boric acid for cockroaches or apple cider vinegar for flies.

Of course, you can always contact an exterminator to do the job or when passing in town approach the hawkers screaming,” dawa ya panya, ya mende,” they will help you.

2. Noisy/ nosy neighbours

While most neighbours will exchange pleasantries, you might have to occasionally deal with a neighbour that really pushes your buttons.

A common neighbour dispute, of course, is noise. If your noisy neighbour is really bothering you, try talking to them directly, and see if they can keep noise to a minimum.

When an issue with a neighbour is about the property itself (for example, hanging line space), ask your landlord to mediate a solution.

3. Plumbing Issues

Do what you can to take good care of the plumbing while you’re living at the property. To prevent a major plumbing disaster, avoid flushing feminine products, diapers or paper towels.

However, some plumbing problems are unavoidable — and they’re often an emergency. Contact your landlord immediately when you’re having an issue. Note plumbing is one of the things that the landlord must maintain immediately.

4. Deposit battles

We all know how we wait for that deposit when its time to move out. Deposits are a huge expense for you as a renter. But as painful as they are to pay, they’re for the protection of the landlord, who may need to use the money to fix any damage that occurred while you lived at their property.

However, your landlord cannot charge you for excessive repairs, particularly for minor issues, like normal ageing of the house. Remember, the repainting will come from the deposit.

If you truly believe that you didn’t get the correct amount for your deposit back, you may have grounds for a lawsuit. Or choose to argue with them. But is suing your landlord even a thing in Kenya?

To get your entire deposit back, sometimes the best offence is a good defence. When you move into a rental, take pictures of any pre-existing damage, or write it down on a move-in document that your landlord provides.

Leaving the property spotless when you move out is also a great way to ensure that you get every penny back.

5. Unsafe surroundings

During the house hunting stage, the crime rate around an area should be on the checklist. Additionally, living somewhere temporary should never mean that you don’t feel safe. To secure your apartment, make sure the door is properly fixed when you move in, and lock your windows before you go to bed.

If you want a little extra security, get to know your neighbours. A close bond will make all of you take care of each other. Don’t forget the ‘Nyumba Kumi Initiative‘ it might save your life.