Agents fleecing newcomers to Kisumu

A shortage of affordable housing in Kisumu is exposing newcomers to exploitation by agents charging high service fees and rent.

According to those who have fallen victim, the agents demand a non-refundable viewing fee of between Sh1,000 and Sh2,000.

As a result, new workers in the town are forced to look for alternatives in places like Ahero, Maseno, Vihiga and Kakamega which are many kilometres away.

Ms Millicent Auma is one such victim. Newly transferred to the city, she did not have much time to do a personal search, so she hired an agent.

PAY RENT

The agent she said, did not have a fixed address, save for a billboard outside a small room. She ended up parting with Sh4,000 as viewing fees for five different houses, but ended up getting none.

“I did not know whether the agent was playing games because of the first three houses I went to, none was suitable,” she said.

Meanwhile, the fourth, a two bedroom self-contained unit, was occupied the very day she was supposed to pay rent for it.

“I decided to put up with a friend as I sought references from friends and relatives until I got a house,” she says.

Mr Paul Wambua, who was transferred from Nairobi early this year, had a similar experience.

ACUTE SHORTAGE

He said that he was forced to put up with a friend after an estate agent conned him of Sh22,500, promising to find him a decent house.

‘‘I paid Sh500 to view a one-bedroom house which was still under construction and Sh22,000 for two months’ rent deposit, but I’m yet to track down the agent, who has since disappeared,’’ said Mr Wambua.

Property developers in Kisumu attributed the tenants’ woes to acute shortage of rental houses in the county due to a sharp rise in demand.

Mr George Wede of Kisumu Land and Property Masters, said most tenants fell victim because they were desperate.

“It is very important to know your rights when giving money to agents. It is unfortunate that most newcomers are not,” he said.

BAD SHAPE

His sentiments were echoed by Mr Fred Aboda, another developer. “There is a shortage of housing in Kisumu, so an unoccupied house can attract up to 10 viewers in a day and the agents charge between Sh1,000 and sh2,000 per session,” he said, adding that some of the houses are either be in bad shape or declared booked if a tenant shows serious intent of moving in.

But Mr Wycliffe Abok of Kisumu Real Estates, said the victims were partly to blame for not using licensed agents.

He says that the aggressive nature of the conmen has diluted the property market in the lakeside city making it hard to trusting anyone not attached to a registered agency.

“Conmen are there to stay and now that everyone wants to engage in the business, residents must be careful about who they deal with when looking for a house”, Mr Onyango said.