Long-term property management in Nairobi, run so you never have to ask.
A vetted tenant, a lease that holds, rent collected on time and wired to your account in USD on the 5th. Our fee is 10% of collected rent. No setup fee, no lock-in, and every deduction itemised.
What does long-term property management in Nairobi cost, and what is included?
Long-term rental management, also called buy-to-let or residential letting management, is what a letting agent, managing agent or property management company does for a landlord: tenant sourcing and vetting, the lease, rent collection and arrears chasing, repairs and vendor coordination, statutory compliance and monthly reporting. Goldstay charges 10% of the rent actually collected for this in Nairobi, with no setup fee, no renewal fee and no commission taken from contractors, and remits the net to your overseas account in USD on the 5th of each month with withholding tax already deducted and paid to KRA.
- Management fee
- 10% of rent collected
- Tenant finding
- One month's rent, only if we place the tenant
- Setup or renewal fees
- None
- Contractor commissions
- None taken, ever
- Payout
- The 5th of each month, in USD
- Tax handling
- Rental income tax withheld and remitted to KRA
- If a placed tenant defaults
- Replaced free within the first six months
- Exit terms
- 30 days' notice, no exit fee
We are paid on rent collected rather than rent due, so an empty month or an unpaid one costs us what it costs you.
What 10% actually covers.
Not a rent-collection service with a letting agent's badge. Full management, including the parts that are inconvenient for us.
Tenant sourcing & vetting
We market the unit, shortlist applicants and verify each one on ID, employer, income, references and a face-to-face interview before anything is signed.
Lease drafting
A lease written by our property lawyers, in your name, with the deposit, escalation, notice and repair obligations set out properly rather than copied off a template.
Rent collection & USD payout
We collect locally, deduct what is due, and wire the balance to your foreign account on the 5th of each month. You never chase a tenant.
Maintenance
Routine and emergency repairs coordinated with vetted trades, quoted before we commit, and approved by you above an agreed threshold.
Statements & compliance
A monthly statement itemising rent, expenses, service charge, land rates and tax, so the year-end return is a download rather than a reconstruction.
Inspections & handover
Move-in and move-out inventories with photographs, plus periodic inspections, so deposit disputes are settled by evidence rather than argument.
The point of a long lease is that nothing happens.
A good tenant in a well-kept unit produces one predictable figure a month and almost no decisions. That is the entire product, and it is why most of the portfolio we manage for landlords in Europe, the Gulf and North America is long-term rather than short-stay.
- Rent wired in USD on the 5th, every month
- Every applicant vetted on ID, employer, income and references
- KRA, service charge and land rates paid from rent and itemised
- Move-in and move-out inventories, photographed
- No lock-in. 30 days notice to exit anytime.
2-bed apartment, Westlands
- Rent collectedUSD 1,600
- Goldstay fee (10%)USD 160
- Service chargeUSD 120
- KRA withholdingUSD 160
- Repairs this monthUSD 0
- Wired to youUSD 1,160
Illustrative only. Service charge, tax treatment and repairs vary by building and by month. Your actual statement itemises every line.
Know your property's real yield.
Two minutes. No sign-up. Based on what our managed portfolio actually earns in Nairobi. Get a working estimate now, a specific one within 48 hours.
We will tell you which one your property suits.
Short-letting grosses more in most of the neighbourhoods we operate in, and it costs considerably more to run: furnishing, cleaning, consumables, utilities, higher wear and a building that has to permit it. Long-term wins on predictability and on the near-total absence of operating cost. The right answer depends on the unit, the building rules and how much variability you can live with, and it is not always the one that pays us more.
If you are weighing it up, read our Airbnb and short-stay service alongside this page, or run both through the yield calculator. If you only need a tenant and intend to manage the property yourself, we also do tenant finding on its own.
What a managed home earns, area by area.
Indicative long-let figures for well-finished 2-bed apartments in the Nairobi neighbourhoods we cover.
The questions landlords abroad actually ask.
What does long-term property management cost in Nairobi?
10% of collected rent, with no setup or onboarding fee. If we also have to find the tenant, tenant finding is a one-time fee of one month's rent. Nothing is deducted that is not itemised on your monthly statement.
How and when do I get paid?
We collect rent in KES, deduct the management fee and any approved expenses, and remit the balance in USD to your foreign account on the 5th of each month, with a statement showing every line.
What happens if the tenant stops paying?
We chase it the day it is late rather than at month end, and we keep you informed in writing. Where it cannot be recovered we manage the notice and, if it comes to it, the eviction process through our lawyers. Rigorous vetting up front is what keeps this rare.
Who pays for repairs?
You do, from collected rent, and we never commit your money blind. Routine items below an agreed threshold we handle and itemise. Anything above it comes to you with a quote first, except genuine emergencies where we act to prevent damage and tell you immediately.
Do you handle KRA and the statutory side?
Yes. KRA returns on rental income, service charge, land rates and any estate levies are paid from collected rent and shown separately on the statement, so nothing accrues quietly while you are abroad.
Am I locked in?
No. Thirty days' written notice ends the agreement, with no exit fee. We would rather keep a landlord because the service is good than because the contract is tight.
Should I let long-term or short-let?
Long-term wins on predictability and near-zero operating cost. Short-letting usually grosses more and costs considerably more to run. It depends on the unit, the building's rules and how much variability you can live with, and we will give you an honest answer for your specific property rather than the one that pays us more.
Ready to stop worrying about your property?
Join diaspora landlords across Europe, the UAE and North America who trust Goldstay.
Prefer to call? +254 702 471 993