January is always a hectic month. With bills flying left right and center, children trying to get back to their routine and everyone else trying to settle in, the topic of moving houses is a rare one at this time. However, people move for different reasons.
Whether you are moving because you need to be closer to your workplace or you just need change, in this article we shall review some of Nairobi’s best places to rent affordable houses. This article will also explore some of the essential amenities around these areas worth settling in. So, let’s get to it.
- Ruaka
I know you’ll wonder why we have Ruaka at the top list, but yes, this is one of the top places where you can find affordable houses for rent. The best part about Ruaka is its accessibility to Nairobi CBD as it’ll take you less than an hour to get to work even on high-traffic days.
Some of the essential amenities you will enjoy at Ruaka include Two Rivers Shopping Mall, Village Market Shopping Mall, RFH Hospital, Equity Afia Hospital, Aga Khan Hospital, Ruaka Medical Centre, and more.
If you have school-going children then schools like Chantilly Primary, Bloomfield, Lily of the Valley, Kingsmead Junior Academy, Royal Brains, Castle Academy, Foresight Academy, Charis House School, Fortune House, Jabali Preparatory and so much more.
Rent in Ruaka should cost you from as low as 6,500/- if you are just getting started and feel like a bedsitter is ideal for you, while a one-bedroom house should cost you from as low as 10,000/-. You could opt to work with Rental Agents to simplify the house-hunting process, but I highly encourage due diligence and only settle when the house in question ticks all the boxes.
- Donholm
From Limuru Road to Jogoo Road. Yes, I didn’t mention but this list will be a random one. Best known as Doni, Donholm is a vibrant location worth considering. Located on the Eastern side of Nairobi, Donholm hosts vibrant estates, such as Harambee, Old and New Donholm, Phase 5 and 8.
Donholm is one of the few estates in Nairobi that have experienced growth in apartment buildings. The area features bedsitters, one, two, and three bedrooms, as well as single-family house units, in modest compounds.
Donholm is surrounded by crucial amenities such as Greenspan Shopping Mall, Eastgate Mall, and Manyanja Business Mall. If you are looking for a school for the little ones, you may be interested in Rockfields School, Mickey’s Kindergarten, Carlin School, St. Maria Montessori School, St. Jude Catholic School, St. Mary Academy, and Neema Primary among others.
Some of the hospitals in the area include Aga Khan Hospital, Meridian Medical Centre, AAR Healthcare, Gertrude Hospital, and Komarock Modern Hospital. You can get a house in Donholm from as low as 6,500/-. It’s very accessible to Nairobi CBD and it should take you less than an hour to get to work.
- Roysambu
Here we are along Thika Road. Perhaps Roysambu is one of the most common places in the minds of Nairobi residents, which is why you need to find out why it’s one of the most preferred locations for middle-income earners.
First, people love Roysambu for its proximity to Nairobi CBD. It’s only 11 KM from town and serves as a center of various activities as well as a preferred residential area. The key amenities in the area include higher learning institutions like PAC University, Royal African Institute, USIU, and Jewel Professional College.
Other amenities that give Roysambu life are the Thika Road Mall, Citam Thika Road, Garden City Mall, and Mountain Mall. Roysambu is also an estate with a lively nightlife. You’ll realize that residents here do not have specific days for partying.
You’ll get a decent house in Roysambu for about 6,500/- just like most estates that we have mentioned here. You need not also worry about coming home late as you can easily grab an Uber to Roysambu at any given time.
- Jamhuri Estate
If you’ve visited a friend or family who lives at the Jamhuri Estate, you’ll agree that this is one of the best estates to live in, especially if you have to commute to Nairobi CBD every day for work. It works best for anyone working at Upper Hill and along Ngong Road, all the way to Karen.
It’s safe to say that out of the estates I’ve shared, Jamhuri Estate is the closest to Nairobi CBD. On a good day, it should take you less than 30 minutes to get to your workstation. With proximity to malls, such as Yaya Centre, Prestige Mall, Greenhouse Mall, and Junction Mall, the estate assures you that you’ll always get what you want when you want it.
Hospitals like Coptic Hospital, Nairobi Women’s Hospital, Menelik Medical Center, and Luton Hospital also make it easy for you to access quality healthcare if you choose to live at Jamhuri Estate. Houses here might be a bit costly, but you should get a decent house for 15,000/-.
- Syokimau
I know you are wondering why I would skip several estates along Mombasa Road to land at Syokimau. Well, Syokimau is one of the fastest-growing suburbs that is not only attracting investors but also people who wish to live here.
The road network enhanced by the Express Way makes this location an ideal place, especially to those who travel a lot through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport or the Standard Gauge Railway. Syokimau is also serviced by commuter trains (morning and evening) to Nairobi town, making it even more convenient for anyone who commutes to town every day.
Syokimau is home to high-end yet affordable houses. An apartment that would have cost you 70,000/- in Kilimani, would cost you 35,000/- in Syokimau. It’s also surrounded by crucial social amenities, including Getaway Mall, Signature Mall, RFH Hospital, Aga Khan University Hospital, and Gertrude Children Hospital among others.
That’s it for today. However, no matter how exciting an estate may sound, always do due diligence before settling. I understand everyone has that one thing they look for in a place to settle, therefore settle where your heart is.
Other areas include:
- Kinoo
- Uthiru
- Parklands
- Nairobi West
- Nyayo
- Buruburu
- South B, C
- Lang’ata
- Kasarani
- Kikuyu
