Nairobi landlords go high-tech to lure elusive tenants

Forget about tiling floors and installing wardrobes in bedrooms – these are so last year. Free pay TV and Wifi are now being offered by landlords as the great battle for higher rental income intensifies.

Some landlords are even willing to undertake massive renovations of their properties in the hopes of getting higher rents. Others are bypassing agents to save on commissions and are marketing their houses online.

“I shifted to this house because of the free WiFi and pay TV services,” says Mr Andrew Muli, who is living in the six-storey building located in Tena, Umoja.

Mr Muli, a the pharmaceutical worker who does not mind paying higher rent for better service, says he was lured to the apartment by its elegance and free pay TV and internet services.

“I am paying Sh25,000 for the house, which is Sh2,000 higher than what I used to pay in my previous house, about 200 metres away.”

Antony Kuyo, a property agent in Nairobi says that unlike previous years when individuals were looking for just a decent rental house, modern tenants are now looking for comfort.

“People want to enjoy staying in their houses. And how else to do this than have the floors of their houses tiled and install pay TV and Internet services,” Mr Kuyo said.

In high-end residential areas of Nairobi, tenants will not rent a house if it does not have closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras for security.

Most of those demanding auxiliary services are young people, he said.

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