Looking For a Rental House in Nairobi: Be Aware of Fraudsters and Rapists

Are you looking for a rental house in Nairobi and just don’t know how to go about it anymore?

If you are, then you better be aware of lingering fraudsters and rapists who are stealing from desperate and unsuspecting house seekers.

There is a huge shortage of houses in Nairobi and its environs and the ones available cannot accommodate the ever ballooning demand.

Stats show that Nairobi needs more than 20,000 units every year in order to accommodate most of the people.

Every month, more than 2,000 people in Nairobi and its environs are either relocating or looking for a new apartment.

Fraudsters have taken advantage of the frustrations and ignorance of the majority of house seekers and steal from them and even rape some of them.

Majority of the fraudsters are on online platforms such as OLX. If you are looking for a rental house in Nairobi, avoid OLX or you will be part of the statistics of people mugged, beaten and raped.

Most fraudsters on OLX take nice pictures of other people’s houses and apartments, post them on the platform with appealing and affordable rates just to entice you.

Upon calling them, they will assure you that you are the “lucky” because the house is still available. They will then ask you to carry your rent plus the deposit either in cash or in M-Pesa so that you “can pay” as soon as you “see the house” because if “you delay, someone else would have taken it.”

The moment you meet them, within a blink of an eye, your money will be gone and you will be left beaten and if you a lady, even raped. If your money is on M-Pesa, they will force you to transfer the same to their account and they will be gone.

Others have placed posters on the broadsides. They call themselves “agents” who will “show you any house you want”. Some are genuine though but 90 percent of them, are fraudsters. Be aware.

Some of the most dangerous places with these fraudsters are: Pangani, Mlango Kubwa, Nairobi’s CBD, Uthiru (Kiambu), Kasarani, Githurai, Kayole 1 and Umoja.

If it is a must you rent a house, be careful and be wise.