TrueHome Kenya List

How to avoid house rental scams in Kenya

TrueHome Kenya · Updated 23 October 2026

Every week, Kenyans lose rent deposits and "booking fees" to people who don't own the houses they advertise. The good news: almost every rental scam follows the same few patterns, and a few simple checks stop them.

The 5 most common rental scams

  1. The too-good-to-be-true listing. A two-bedroom in Kilimani for the price of a bedsitter, or "Bedsitter in Lavington, KSh 5,000, no agent". The low price is bait to make you hurry.
  2. The fake landlord or agent. Someone advertises a house they don't own or manage, sometimes with copied photos and a fake tenancy agreement. Tenants arrive on moving day to find someone else living there.
  3. "Pay to book it before someone else does". You're asked to send a deposit or booking fee by M-Pesa before viewing, because "many people want it". After paying, the person disappears or invents new fees.
  4. Viewing fees. You pay to be shown houses. Some are real, many aren't, and the money is never refunded.
  5. Off-plan promises. For buyers: instalments paid for units that are never built or delivered.

Warning signs

  • The price is far below other homes in the same estate.
  • You're pushed to pay today, before seeing the house.
  • The "landlord" is always travelling, upcountry or abroad, and only a cousin or caretaker can show you.
  • The M-Pesa name doesn't match the name of the person you're dealing with.
  • They refuse a video call, refuse to meet at the property, or won't show ID.
  • The same photos appear in other adverts with different prices or locations.

10 checks before you pay anything

  1. View the house in person, or send someone you trust. Never pay for a house nobody has seen.
  2. Meet at the property and check the caretaker, neighbours or other tenants know the landlord's name.
  3. Ask for ID and check the name matches the M-Pesa or bank account you'll pay.
  4. Ask for proof of ownership or authority. A landlord can show the title deed; an agent or caretaker should have a letter from the owner.
  5. For agents, check the register. See our guide on checking an estate agent.
  6. Never pay "viewing fees" or "booking fees" before viewing.
  7. Get a written tenancy agreement before paying the deposit, and read it.
  8. Pay into a named account, not to a stranger's personal number, and keep every receipt and message.
  9. Search the photos. A reverse image search (for example in Google Lens) shows if the pictures were copied from another advert.
  10. Trust your gut. If you feel rushed or something doesn't add up, walk away. Another house will come.

How TrueHome Kenya helps

Listers on TrueHome Kenya can earn a Verified badge by sending us their National ID and title deed or management letter, which we check against an official land search. Every badge has a code you can confirm under Check a badge, and you can report any listing with one tap. We remove fake listings and block scammers and their phone numbers.

If you've been scammed

  • Stop sending money, however convincing the next story is.
  • Contact your mobile money provider immediately with the transaction details.
  • Report to the police / DCI and keep copies of all messages, numbers and receipts.
  • If the advert was on TrueHome Kenya, report the listing so we can block the scammer.