Nairobi is a 2 Bedroom Haven

About two years ago, I looked at how much rent Nairobians pay in different parts of the city.

I also looked at how much they pay in matatu fare, and their perception of the safety of their neighbourhoods.

Then, I found that 2 bedrooms were the most popular followed by 1 bedrooms and then 3 bedrooms.

This shows that family units are more preferred. There was a twist to my findings - 3 bedrooms were partly less popular because some potential tenants could not find any/or suitable units, hence settled for 2 bedrooms.

In the last two years, 11 more people responded to my survey, in addition to the 43 who had previously responded. This means that about 25 per cent more people have since given their input.

Let’s see how the new tenants compare to the old data.

Again, 2 bedrooms are the most popular with half the respondents leasing these, followed by 1 bedrooms at about a quarter of respondents. 4 bedrooms and a bedsitter with one toilet inside each have one respondent, which is not so significant for the little data we have.

Monthly Rent vs Number of Bedrooms (0.75 means a bedsitter)

The 3 one bedrooms have their rent varying from KSh. 14,000 to KSh. 18,500, while the two bedrooms range from KSh. 8,000 in Githurai 44 to KSh. 35,000 in Kikuyu. The Ksh. 8,000 is an outlier as the rest range from KSh. 16,000. The four bedroom costs KSh. 40,000.

A comparison of peak fares around Nairobi. Most people pay 80 bob.

The respondents are spread all over Nairobi, with peak matatu fares ranging from 50 bob for Ngumba to 130 for Karen. Most residents pay 80 bob.

When it comes to safety, majority of respondents feel their neighbourhoods are very safe and they can go home any time, while about 1 in every 3 feels the latest they can get home is about 10 to 11 PM.

As safe as houses - Most people feel relatively safe in their homes.

If you would like to be included in this survey, you can fill the short form here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfTMyn7bQDC2IXQ6Bo0zzmDjywIk2SmtOSB19cNNxJQpv8qsA/viewform#responses or the embedded form below:

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