The Ultimate House Viewing Checklist for Kenyan Renters (2026)

By Makao Match Team

A house viewing is maybe twenty minutes long, and it quietly decides the next twelve months of your life. Most people spend those minutes wandering from room to room, nodding politely, imagining where the sofa goes. The tenants who never get stung do something different: they treat the viewing like an inspection, not a daydream. Here's how to walk through a place the way a careful renter actually does.

Start before you're even inside

The building tells you more than the flat does. At the gate, ask the real questions: is there a guard, and for what hours? Is that CCTV camera actually recording, or is it decoration? Look at the perimeter wall, razor wire or an electric fence isn't paranoia in Nairobi, it's peace of mind. Check whether parking is secure, allocated and well-lit, and if the unit is on the ground or first floor, make sure the windows have grills. While you're standing there, pull out your phone and check the signal on more than one network, a flat with no Safaricom or Airtel bars is a daily frustration you'll feel for a year.

Walk the rooms like you're being paid to find faults

Inside, run your eyes along the walls and ceiling first, hunting for cracks, damp patches, peeling paint or the tell-tale shadow of mould, damp is expensive and stubborn, and it's the landlord's problem only if you spot it now. Test that the floors are level with no broken tiles or soft spots underfoot. Open and close every window and door: they should shut flush, lock properly, and ideally carry mosquito screens. Bring a phone charger and actually plug it into several sockets, flick every light switch, and keep an eye out for any exposed wiring. These are two-second checks that save you weeks of "the caretaker is coming tomorrow."

Turn on every tap, then flush the toilet

Water is where cheap flats reveal themselves. Open the kitchen and bathroom taps fully and watch the pressure, a sad trickle now is a sad trickle forever. Run the shower for consistent pressure and check the head doesn't leak. Flush the toilet and confirm it refills cleanly with no endless running sound. Crouch and look under the sinks for damp wood or the green crust of an old leak. And ask the unglamorous but crucial question about the water heater: electric or solar, working, and how old?

Read the whole building, not just your door

Step back into the shared spaces. Are the staircases and corridors clean and lit, or neglected? Is the garbage area an organised collection point or a health hazard? If there's a lift, is it maintained and backed by a generator? Then just stand still and listen, a bar, a church, a construction site or a highway next door will sound charming at 2pm and unbearable at 6am. Finally, note the practical geography: is there a shop or supermarket within walking distance, and a matatu stop within a five-minute walk?

Before you hand over a single shilling

Once you're happy, get the terms straight while you're standing there. Ask about the lease length, the notice period and the rent-increase policy. Pin down the all-in cost, deposit, agency fee and any utility setup, so nothing ambushes you later. Photograph everything, especially any existing damage, so it can never be blamed on you at move-out. Get the caretaker's number for the inevitable maintenance call, and confirm exactly when you can move in.

None of this takes long, and it's the difference between a home and a headache. The twenty minutes you spend checking properly can save you months of quiet regret.