Kisumu Town residents are urging the county government to intervene and bar landlords from hiking house rent.
Mark Mwangi, a carpenter, in the town said that life is expensive in Kisumu especially when it comes to rental matters.
“People living in Kisumu town pay high rent compared to others in bigger towns. Here you need at least Sh15,000 to get relatively good house this is expensive comparing the it with other towns of its status where you get the same at Sh10,000,” said Mwangi.
Kenya National Housing Survey Report 2012/2013 Basic Report Shows that the country requires over Sh200,000 housing units annually to bridge the housing affordability gap by 2030.
Mwangi says the situation is not good hence urging the county government to intervene over the matter.
“Most people spend more than 30 per-cent of their income on rent every months with the figure rising to 47 per-cent when housing related utilities are included,” noted Mwangi.
Kisumu residents said majority of property developers are also constructing houses for rent and not for sale, thus leaving residents with the financial muscle to buy houses with no option but to rent.
They are now requesting developers to come up with cheaper housing cluster for majority of citizens who earn less than Sh20,000 to be able to afford houses and manage to score goals of their dreams in life.