In Mombasa, tenants like Esther are facing tough times with landlords who hold onto security deposits. Esther, a local resident, recently moved out of her Nyali apartment after her job contract ended. She had paid three months’ rent upfront plus a KSh 20,000 deposit when she started renting. Her stay was trouble-free. She always paid rent on time and kept the place spotless. No damage at all when she left. But getting that deposit back turned into a nightmare. The landlord, Mr Mwangi, flat-out refused. He claimed he needed another inspection.
That was just the start. Weeks dragged on with no refund. Esther texted and showed up at his place repeatedly. Each time, he had a new excuse. Soon, she learnt she wasn’t alone. Other former tenants in the building complained about the same issue: unpaid deposits sitting in his pocket. They tried talking sense into him as a group. It backfired. He brushed them off with a laugh and warned, “Keep pushing, and you’ll never see that money.”
Esther felt stuck and frustrated. Court seemed like an option, but she worried about the long delays, maybe months or years in Kenya’s system. This isn’t rare in coastal cities like Mombasa, where rental disputes pop up often. Housing experts say tenants should document everything from move-in photos to payment receipts. Read more at https://drbokko.com/?p=37223.
