Having easy access to a main highway is a great advantage for rental properties. Finding a place to rent near or along Mombasa road is easy. The rent varies and may seem to increase the further you get from the CBD. For the purpose of this article, we will only look at areas after the South C overpass. These areas are preferable for people who travel a lot or people who just like these places.
South B and C
This area is close to town and also has easy access to Mombasa road. South B is a very vibrant place and always seems to be alive regardless of the time. You will probably also love the sizzling mtura and numerous entertainment spots. Water shortage is not unheard of but it is not rampant either. The area, both B and C, is fairly safe. Fare to town is usually 50 shillings at peak times.
The greatest thing about it in terms of renting is that there is a variety of choices. You can live in a bed sitter. You could also quite easily scale up ad get a bigger place. To top this, there are great schools among other amenities in the area. Rent fro a bed sitter really depends on where it is. For example a bed sitter in River Bank estate can be as low as 7,000 shillings. While the same may be about 10,000 shillings in a place like Golden Gate. The same goes for one bed room houses, two bedroom houses et cetera. The range for rent in South C is basically the same.
Imara Daima
Imara Daima has expanded and grown quite a bit since the days of just the one estate. Now there are luxury apartments as well as affordable units to choose from. You can tell from the road that it s a great place to stay and is fairly populated. By fair, it means that there are just enough people living there. Unlike South B, it is not famous for mtura and the roads may be a little scary after 11 PM. This is especially if one is coming from the left side where Sunrise is located.
Rent for a 3 bedroom house or apartment can go for as low as 30,000 shillings per month while a 1 bedroom house can go for as low as 13,000 shillings. If you try you could find a bed sitter for less than 10,000 shillings. Water shortage or lack thereof depends on the area you choose but it is not common. Getting to the central business district may be hard at peak times so maybe only live there if you do not have to get to the CBD early.
Syokimau
This area has developed quite a bit in the last decade. Before it was just people buying land and building their own residences. However, it is teeming with apartments among other rental properties. This area is not going to be affordable if you have to commute to the CBD every morning. It would be better to rent in other parts of Nairobi. Fare for the train is 100 shillings. If you choose to commute by road, the traffic may prove problematic. Maybe if you commute to Machakos for work. However, Syokimau would be a good place to rent if you work on Mombasa road. Point is, if you work in town do not live in Syokimau. The rent in Syokimau can be as low as 10,000 shillings for a one bedroom house.
Athi River
This includes any place after Mlolongo. For a while there, Athi River was an industrial hub for a long time. Probably still is. Most people who rented there worked in the factories around there. However, with the rail service and development of rental properties has made it popular or people looking to live on the outskirts of Nairobi. It is close enough to the business district to be easily accessible by train. It is also far enough to accord one silence and reprieve from the noise of the bustle. Just like Syokimau, do not live in Athi River if you have to commute to the CBD everyday. The train makes it easier but you still have to be up very early to make it to the station.
You ca get a two bed rom house in Athi River for 20,000 shillings or less. One thing you will notice the further you get from the CBD is that the rooms in the houses get larger and larger. You will get more space the further you get from the center of Nairobi. So you can expect to get a bigger bed sitter in Athi River and Syokimau than you would in South B. Be cautious about where you find a place to rent because close proximity to a manufacturing plant could be harmful to your health.
Past Athi River
Rent past Athi River is really dependent on many factors. For example, you can get a 2 bedroom guest wing at Greenpark for 20,000 shillings. You could also get a bedsitter for 5,000 shillings at the Machakos junction. Water shortages may be rampant in these areas. Again, if you are choosing the outskirts for the affordability you should not venture this far out of Nairobi. The cost of commuting to the city everyday will not be worth it.
Developments like Green Park estate have made living on the outskirts of Nairobi cool. People have seen that it can be hip and woke to step away from the city lights at night. You will realize that the further you get from the city the less alive it seems past 10 PM. Another notable development is Serene Park at the Machakos junction. These are purchase properties. But, the point here is that living on the outskirts of Nairobi has become more of a norm than it was a few years ago. It is definitely easier to travel by road than it was except for the few cases of traffic snarl ups on the high way.
