Molly at her apartment in Lang'ata. PHOTO | LUCY WANJIKU | NMG
Summary
- From outside, there is nothing especially hotel-like about these homes. Some are located in very desirable neighbourhoods while others are in downtown Nairobi.
- Some have beds made from recycled pallets but fancy, others have gone extra with Bohemian interiors while many are just basic Kenyan homes, minimally decorated.
- Yet these houses, listed on the home sharing site Airbnb, charging from Sh1,500 for accommodation to Sh7,000 a day, are attracting thousands of foreigner travellers and earning Kenyans extra income.
From outside, there is nothing especially hotel-like about these
homes. Some are located in very desirable neighbourhoods while others
are in downtown Nairobi. Some have beds made from recycled pallets but
fancy, others have gone extra with Bohemian interiors while many are
just basic Kenyan homes, minimally decorated.
Yet these
houses, listed on the home sharing site Airbnb, charging from Sh1,500
for accommodation to Sh7,000 a day, are attracting thousands of
foreigner travellers and earning Kenyans extra income.
As
the younger generation begins to travel more, they are opting for
authentic experiences over the comfort and luxury offered in traditional
hotels. They want to live like locals, mingle and share experiences
with them in markets where they buy their daily groceries to joining
them in churches.
Molly Ogogo is one of the Airbnb
entrepreneurs. The teacher by profession rents out extra space in her
apartment in Nairobi’s Langata.
She first came across
of the home sharing concept when she was doing a random Internet search
on cheap places to stay in Singapore. Though banned in Singapore, Airbnb
was everywhere on the results page, she says.
She first enrolled as a guest, and later came back to Nairobi and started hosting others for extra income.
Ms Ogogo is among the growing list of Kenyans who
are renting out extra rooms or houses on different homestay platforms.
From stand-alone houses to apartments and single self-contained rooms,
local hosts have listed a variety of properties.
Some
hosts rent an apartment, furnish it and then give it out to tourists for
short stays. This is the case with David Kiragu and Martin Kinuthia,
both IT professionals.
Mr Kiragu has listed a property
on Kirinyaga Road in downtown Nairobi while Mr Kinuthia has rented out
an apartment in Ruaka, not far from Two Rivers Mall.
“The
property is steps away from Two Rivers Mall. I chose the area because
it’s better known for expatriates on long-term contracts, middle-class
locals and foreigners,” he says.
Mr Kiragu says that proximity to the city centre informed his choice of the Airbnb house.
“I
know many people might have doubts [due to insecurity] but the property
is close to Globe Roundabout and the security is pretty good, despite
the perception most have of downtown Nairobi,” he says.
For
years, hotels have dominated the accommodation part of tourism. But the
high rates made travelling expensive. Nowadays, low budget hotels,
desire to explore the world and affordable Airbnb homes have made it
easier for many to travel, even those who do not have a lot of
disposable income.
Travellers are also looking for
experiences away from the confines of designated tourist areas.
Millennials are passionate users of Airbnb and roughly 60 percent of all
guests who have ever booked on Airbnb are the young generation.
Kenya,
according to Airbnb, ranks third in Africa on listing homes after South
Africa and Morocco. In 2018, there were about 132,000 property listed
on Airbnb in Africa, and the number is rising.
The homes attract from solo travellers to families and groups.
Families on leisure or business trips favour Ms Ogogo’s house. They stay in her spare bedrooms while sharing the living room.
She
adds that her sharing her three-bedroom apartment with strangers is not
only about making money. Some who stay for months have become her
friends and return guests.
“The concept of hosting
strangers is rewarding in itself. I get to learn so much from them
because they come from different backgrounds and countries. The guests
on their part receive a different kind of experience from luxury
hotels,” she says.
For Mr Kinuthia, ensuring tourists have a memorable stay in Nairobi is what excites him.
“Hosting is a great experience because I meet
people from all over the world. Because they are well-travelled, some
give me tips on how to make my house more comfortable and they recommend
it to their friends and families,” he says.
Some of his guests are now like family, he adds.
“I
actually take care of their needs as if they were my own, recommending
nice hangout joints, my favourites, so they definitely feel like family
to me.”
Mr Kiragu gives an example of a couple he hosted months ago and they have been communicating since.
“Most
times, a host’s kindness is rewarded with a high rating and constant
bookings. And who knows, they might even invite me visit them,” Ms Ogogo
says.
Some of the Airbnb entrepreneurs in Kenya also have day jobs. So how do they juggle work and hosting?
The
concept of homestay is straightforward; homeowners give out extra space
in their houses for travellers and as a host, one is only obligated to
give space and not around the clock services as is the case in hotels.
So there is no cooking for the guests or planning their itinerary, unless on request and which attracts extra charges.
This
gives hosts time to focus on other things, say full-time employment
while using their free time to welcome tourists to their homes or a
separately rented apartment.
“Hosting is not really
engaging as long as someone is there to usher in the guest and orient
them. Most guests have their daily engagements so you get ample time to
do you other tasks,” says Ms Ogogo.
The platforms also
have features that make it easy for hosts to organise their schedules,
only inviting people in their homes when they have the time and their
listings are ready.
“The good thing is that running
homestay is not as much tasking. The apps have a calendar that helps me
plan especially when it comes to check- ins, check outs, cleaning and
switching guests. That way, it hardly interrupts my daily schedules,”
says Mr Kinuthia.
Challenges
In
some instances, once the host has provided the guidelines and the
directions to the house, the host does not need to be physically
present.
“Once the house is booked online, I ensure it
is clean, when a guest arrives, he can self-check-in or I check them in.
I take them through general house rules, which they always get before
arrival,” explains Mr Kiragu.
However, Airbnb investment is not all rosy. Not every visitor who checks in is nice and follows the house rules.
“The
challenging part is hosting someone who’s going through a crisis or
dealing with a personal issue. It can be so draining if you don’t have
full information on what exactly someone is going through,” says Ms
Ogogo.
It is also not always a quick moneymaking
scheme. The first five or so months may be tricky that sometimes one
gets no visitors. Others are not as lucky. They rent expensive
apartments, paying monthly rates of Sh60,000, yet they have no guests.
“Like
any other business, we have good months and bad months,” says Mr
Kinuthia, who charges between Sh2,000 and Sh3,200, depending on the
season and time of the week.
On his part, Mr Kiragu gives out his room for a minimum of Sh1,800, but during high season, he collects Sh2,000 per day.
Ms Ogogo rents out her extra bedrooms for between
Sh1,000 and Sh3,000. She also charges an extra charge of Sh1,500 for
weekends and Sh800 for each extra guest. She has a further Sh10,000 as
security deposit.
Mr Kiragu explains that hosting can
be rewarding when a host experiences no challenges. If all plays out
well, an Airbnb entrepreneur can get Sh50,000 to Sh200,000 a month.
Airbnb
is growing rapidly in Kenya, especially in cities such as Kisumu,
Nairobi and Mombasa. City’s tourism industry could benefit if more
apartments to be offered on Airbnb.
According to Airbnb, there are over six million listings around the world.
In
Kenya, guest arrivals has risen by 68 percent over the years with a
Nairobi home with private gardens called ‘The Constant Gardener House’
and the Brandy Bus in Karen being the most booked.
The most booked experiences include a coffee farm tour in Limuru and Nairobi National Park visit, according to Airbnb.
aomondi@ke.nationmedia.com
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