This archive report was first published on 14 October 2019.
Rogue Housing Agents Exposed ¶
Published on October 14, 2019, a story of Caroline Gacheri, a frustrated tenant who was denied her deposit of Sh20,000 by a house agent in Utawala, has sparked outrage among Kenyans.
Caroline Gacheri had served a one-month notice and moved out of her house in Utawala, but the agent refused to hand her back her deposit. She was left with no choice but to share her predicament on Facebook, calling out the agent for their rude behavior.
"Why do house agents play with our hard-earned cash? The agents have rudely ignored my request of getting my deposit back. It has been a month and response is negatively rude," she posted on Kilimani Mums and Dads group on Facebook.
Her story is just one of many cases of rogue housing agents in Nairobi who have perfected the art of ripping off tenants. Mr. Paul Ogutu's story is a stark reminder of the dangers of dealing with unscrupulous agents.
Mr. Ogutu had seen a poster advertising vacant houses in Mirema and decided to call the number. He was shown a vacant one-bedroom house and paid for it, but when he returned to collect his family, he found that the agent was not there and the house was occupied by someone else.
Elizabeth Mwihaki's story is another example of the lengths to which rogue agents will go to rip off tenants. She had issued a one-month notice to move out of her house in Kangemi, but the agents refused to refund her deposit and even confiscated her bed and table.
Lawyer Brian Mutoro argues that if the people who are mistreated report the matter to the police or the tribunal and follow it up, they will always find help.
