Get your deposit back
What to do at move-in, at move-out, and when a landlord won't pay. Including the Small Claims Court.
Deposits in Nairobi are usually one or two months' rent. Too many never come back. Most of the fight is won on the day you move in.
On move-in day
- Photograph and video every room, with the date visible. Walls, floors, taps, sockets, the meter reading.
- Get the deposit receipt in writing, with the landlord's name and the amount.
- Read the tenancy agreement for notice period and what can be deducted.
When you move out
- Give written notice (WhatsApp counts as a record, a letter is better).
- Clean, repaint if the agreement says so, and take the same photos again.
- Hand over keys against a signed note.
If the landlord won't refund
- Send a written demand: amount, date you moved out, a 14-day deadline.
- If they ignore it, file at the Small Claims Court. In January 2025 the High Court confirmed it can hear deposit-refund claims. Claims up to KES 1 million, no lawyer needed, and it aims to finish within 60 days.
- Bring your agreement, receipt, photos and messages.
Carta Homes records the deposit and the move-in condition for every tenant we place, so you start with the evidence.