This archive report was first published on 2 November 2019.
On November 1st, 2019, a Nairobi landlord made headlines after reducing rent charges for his tenants at Muhu Building on Naivasha Road in Dagoretti North, Nairobi.
The landlord's decision was announced in a letter dated October 17th, 2019, which was signed by Simon Ngugi, the property's manager, and copied to the landlord John Roki.
According to the letter, the rent reduction was made to help tenants struggling to pay their rent arrears, which had been affected by a 'serious business fall.'
Simon Ngugi wrote in the letter: 'We have noted a serious business fall in recent months. We, therefore, extend our support to your business by reducing your rent.'
The new rent for each unit is Sh8,000 per month, down from Sh10,000.
Speaking to K24 Digital, the building's agent Paul Newton confirmed the authenticity of the letter and explained the decision behind the rent reduction.
'We arrived at the decision after keenly scrutinizing how our tenants settled their rent arrears in the last few months. Honestly, we noticed they were struggling to raise the money, and, therefore, we had to reduce the monthly rental charges,' said Newton.
However, Newton also noted that the rent reduction may be revised upwards when the economy improves.
The letter has since gone viral on social media, with some Kenyans praising the landlord for his decision and others expressing surprise at the unusual move.
