Guides for landlords

Managing rentals for other landlords in Kenya: a guide for agents

Updated 5 Nov 2026

Many Kenyan landlords hand their buildings to an agent, a property manager or a trusted relative. It works well when both sides can see the same numbers. These are the habits that keep landlords happy with their agent, and how to set them up in Rentipay.

1. Agree the deal in writing

Before you start, write down what the landlord pays you and what you do for it:

• Your fee: a percentage of rent collected (often around 10%), a fixed amount a month, a letting fee for each new tenant (for example half a month's rent), or a mix.
• Repairs: how much you can spend without asking. Above that, the landlord approves first.
• Paying out: when you pay the landlord each month, and to which account.

If you work as an estate agent for pay, check whether you need to register with the Estate Agents Registration Board. (General information, not legal advice.)

2. Send one clear statement every month

Landlords mostly want one answer: how much do I get? A good monthly statement shows the rent collected, minus your fee, minus the repairs and bills you paid for their building, and what's left for them. Add who still owes, empty units, and the deposits you're holding. Send it on the same day every month.

3. Keep each landlord's money and records apart

If you manage for several landlords, never mix their buildings in one notebook or one spreadsheet. Each landlord should only see their own buildings, and every shilling should be traceable to a tenant and a month.

4. Record every payout

When you pay the landlord, note the date, the amount and the M-Pesa or bank reference. If you pay less than you owe this month, carry the rest forward, so nobody has to remember it.

How it works in Rentipay: two ways

A. You have the account (agent mode)

For agents and property managers who run buildings for one or more landlords.

1. Sign up yourself, the same way a landlord does.
2. Go to Settings → Agent mode (it then shows as Landlords I manage in the menu), tap Add a landlord, and enter their name, phone, email, your fee, the repair limit and how you pay them.
3. Add their building: under Properties → Add a property, choose the landlord under Belongs to. Buildings left as Mine are your own.
4. Run the building as usual: tenants, reminders, receipts, caretakers, repairs and expenses work the same as for any landlord.
5. Every month, each landlord gets their statement on a private link. They don't need an account or a password. It's emailed to them on the 3rd, or you can send the link on WhatsApp. Repairs over their limit wait on the same link for them to approve.
6. Pay them, then open their statement and tap Mark as paid. Anything still owed carries to next month.

Who pays for Rentipay: you do. One account and one bill cover all your buildings, your own and your landlords'. The landlords you manage never pay Rentipay. Most agents cover it in their fee.

Where tenants pay: you choose for each landlord, under Landlords I manage → Rent goes to → change. Rentipay never holds anyone's rent.

• Straight to the landlord (the usual way, as the building is theirs): enter the landlord's own Paybill, Till, M-Pesa number or bank account. Their tenants are told to pay there. If the landlord's Paybill or Till is connected to Safaricom's Daraja (enter its keys on the same page), payments show up by themselves and you and your caretakers can send M-Pesa prompts, with the money going only to the landlord. Otherwise, tenants tap I've paid with the M-Pesa code, and you confirm it. The statement then shows what the landlord owes you: your fees, and the repairs and bills you paid. When they pay you, tap Mark as paid.
• To you, if that's what you agreed: tenants pay the Paybill, Till, number or bank account in your M-Pesa settings, and you pay each landlord their share, as the statement shows.

B. The landlord has the account, and you help

For a landlord who wants their own account, with rent paid straight to them, and an agent, caretaker or relative who helps.

1. The landlord signs up and adds their buildings and their own M-Pesa details.
2. Under Settings → Staff, they give you a login. You can send tenants M-Pesa prompts, record cash, log repairs and meter readings, for all their buildings or only some. You don't see their totals or settings.
3. Or, under Settings → People with access, they can let you see everything (or also make changes), and the Activity log shows who did what.

Here the landlord pays for Rentipay, and rent goes straight into their account.

Which one should I use?

• You collect the rent and pay landlords out: A, agent mode, with rent going to you.
• Rent goes straight to the landlord, you run everything and they pay your fees: A, agent mode, with rent going straight to them.
• The landlord wants their own account, and you help: B, a staff login on their account.

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Laws and KRA rules change: check with an advocate or tax adviser for your situation.