These are difficulty times for many folks in urban centres, especially tenants. The landlords have taken to increasing rent at whim forcing tenants to perpetually be on the move, writes Harold Ayodo
Peep Peep. A Short Text Message (SMS) from her landlord showed on her phone. In a blink of a eye it announced the increase of her rent from Sh60,000 to Sh75,000 per month in Lavington, Nairobi. Bang! Just like that!
Diana Njeri says the message from the apartment owner got her perplexed.
“I signed a tenancy agreement with the landlord in January that rent would be Sh60,000 monthly until December,” Njeri says.
But in a dramatic turn of events, her landlord sent her the SMS on a Sunday morning informing her that the rent would increase by Sh10,000 over unavoidable circumstances.
“I tried to reason with him (landlord) but he stood his ground that the rent would be Sh70,000 from September 1,” Njeri says. Consequently, Njeri moved out to a cheaper apartment in the nearby Kilimani estate after a written agreement with her former landlord.
“We agreed to revoke the contract and I move out as the increased rent was not manageable,” she says.
Njeri now lives in a two bed-roomed apartment off Ngong road paying rent ofSh40,000 per month.
Shifting residence
For Aggrey Kinyanjui and his wife Millicent, moving from Riverside Drive to South C, South B or Buru Buru is their next option. ?“The landlady hiked the rent of our apartment from Sh55,000 per month to Sh68,000 from July 1, which is beyond us,” Kinyanjui says.
According to Kinyanjui, the increased rent eats well into their budget on basics and necessities like food and fuel.
“We have resolved to shift to a cheaper house in Nairobi West, South B, South C or, if it comes to the worst then Buru Buru,” Kinyanjui says.
