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C H A P T E R 5 : A T H O M E
At Home in Nairobi » Housing Most United Nations employees are expected to find their own homes from commercially available properties. You will pay rents directly to your landlord, and also negotiate the costs of repairs and maintenance with them. Like most cities in the world, Kenyan lease agreements put the onus on landlords for the maintenance of the house’s infrastructure and the payment of rates and taxes, while the tenant is expected to take care of routine maintenance and ‘wear and tear’.The tenant is also responsible for paying all utility bills. Before seeking housing, employees are advised to approach the UN’s Security and Safety Service in G-Block to avail themselves of the latest information on residential security conditions.As well as advising you on the nature of a particular area, the Security and Safety Service will be able to inform you about the local coverage of private security firms, the availability of water and electricity, the nature of the commute from Gigiri and your children’s schools, and what measures you might need to take to make a property secure for your family (see Chapter 4). Staff members are usually advised to arrive in Nairobi before their dependents in order to have time to find suitable accommodation.Finding a House Popular areas of expatriate housing include the area around Gigiri and the Runda Estate, the upmarket suburb of Muthaiga, Spring Valley, Loresho, Westlands, Riverside Drive,Nyari Estate and Lavington. Other reasonable and pleasant housing is available in Hurlingham, Kilimani, Kileleshwa and the State House area. Some people prefer to live in the green environs of Karen and Langata, which are located to the south of Nairobi, roughly 15 km from Gigiri, and enjoy close proximity to Nairobi National Park and several other natural attractions (see Chapter 9). The best way to find residential accommodation is either by word of mouth or by looking at the noticeboards at the Gigiri Complex, or at the more popular shopping centres, particularly the Sarit Centre, the Yaya Centre and Village Market. It is also worth looking at the Nation and Standard newspapers, the monthly Focus on Property magazine, and the website www.theexpatriate. org, which provides practical information and contacts especially designed for new residents. Rental Costs & Conditions House rents are still quite high in Nairobi, with average rents ranging from Ksh 30-50,000 for an unfurnished two-bedroom apartment or a small cottage, Ksh 50-80,000 for a two- or three-bedroom townhouse, and Ksh 60- 140,000 for a three- to five-bedroom house with a large garden in one of the more upmarket suburbs. Most rental agreements involve the signing of a 1-2 year lease, with renewal clauses allowing for a rental fee increase – usually in the region of 10%. UN staffers are encouraged to request a ‘diplomatic clause’ that permits the tenant to terminate the lease with 1-3 months’ notice in the event of a reassignment or transfer. Most landlords request three months’ advance rent, and arriving staff should apply to their agency for a salary advance to meet this requirement. Furnished & Serviced Apartments Nairobi also has a good number of furnished and/or serviced apartments for rent, which are ideal for those on short-term contracts or newcomers who are in the process of finding somewhere more permanent. Most of these apartments are located in two main areas: the Hurlingham/Kilimani area, which has some of the city’s most comfortable serviced apartments, and Westlands, which has several new apartment developments, particularly in the vicinity of Rhapta Road. Nairobi has a growing number of efficient housing agents that deal with property rentals, most of which also feature a selection of properties on the Internet. The best of these are: HassConsult 4446914 www.hassconsult.co.ke Kenya Valuers 522001/521870 harber@iconnect.co.ke Lloyd Masika 215900/218112-3 www.realtorsafrica.com Knight Frank Kenya 4440174/4442167-9 www.knightfrank.com Tysons Ltd. 222011/330331 tysons@nbnet.co.ke Villa Care 4448246/4447444 www.villacarekenya.com House Furnishings Although houses can sometimes be rented with a cooking stove and/or refrigerator in place, most international staff will have to import their hard furnishings or purchase them locally, which can be an expensive business. However, staff are entitled to import new kitchen equipment tax-free within their first three months, and new staff are advised to take advantage of this provision and to import all essential household items other than furniture, a good selection of which can be found locally at reasonable prices. Furniture may also be rented at reasonable prices for temporary use from Kenya Furniture Rental Limited. They may be contacted on telephone 2718789 or e-mail info@kfr.co.ke
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