Scams to watch out for when house-hunting in Kanairo

Do not fall prey to these scams.

The holidays are the most popular times to do your house-hunting. For one, you have more time on your hands to properly search for a house since you probably have time away from work. Also, during the Christmas season, many businesses have slowed down so you’re bound to find your desired house for cheaper. 

That being said, house-hunting in Nairobi can prove to be a frustrating and disappointing feat. Left, right and centre, someone will be trying to separate you from your coins in the most unscrupulous manner. Here are the most popular scams to look out for when house-hunting in Nairobi (and Kenya at large).

Con-men disguised as agents

When enlisting the services of a housing agent, it can be almost impossible to be sure if they are truly who they say they are. You may come across cons who pretend to be representative over property they have no authority over. They will even pretend to follow all the legal protocol and even present to you fake contracts and leases to sign. Once you hand over your money to them, they disappear into thin air. The best move to make here would be to liaise with reputable real estate companies or to use agents that have been personally referred to you by a reliable source.

False listing images

In this digital age, we constantly have to filter out what’s real from what’s fake. One major way conmen in the housing sector are thriving is by posting false images of listings online. You find a beautiful picture of your dream apartment on a page but once you go view the listing, it’s nothing more than a whole in the ground. Extensive research will help you avoid wasting your time like this.

No correlation between area and price

A one-bedroom house in Lavington listed for KSH 10,000 should have your alarm bells going off. Basically if you come across a price listing online that seems too good to be true, it probably is. Watch out for those black and white roadside posters too.

Early deposit

You’ve come across the house of your dream and desperate as you are, you want to secure it so no one else moves in first. The unprincipled conman you’re using as an agent will then convince you to end a deposit for the house or even just a small amount in order to secure the house. Guarantee that will be the last you hear of that case. 

Play your cards right.

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