Furnishing a Rental Apartment in Kenya: A Landlord's Guide

Short answer: For a furnished rental apartment in Kenya, choose durable, easy-clean pieces in neutral colours: wooden-frame or leather-look sofas, solid beds with simple headboards, a 4- or 6-seater dining set with wipeable tops, and slim bedside tables. Avoid fragile finishes and very light fabrics, and buy matching sets so units are easy to repeat.

Furnishing a unit to let

A furnished apartment rents for more than an empty one, and in many Nairobi estates it also lets faster. Tenants on a one- or two-year lease, expatriate staff and families relocating for work often want a home they can move into the same day. The furniture has a different job from the furniture in your own home: it must survive several tenants, look good in listing photos and be easy to replace when something wears out.

This guide is for long-term rentals. If you run short stays, a guest house or an Airbnb, read our guide to furnishing a lodge, guest house or Airbnb, which covers higher turnover and hospitality pieces.

Five rules for rental furniture

1. Durable before decorative. Solid frames and simple shapes outlast delicate carving and thin legs.
2. Easy to clean. Leather or leather-look upholstery, wooden arms and wipeable table tops handle spills better than light fabric.
3. Neutral colours. Grey, brown and cream suit any tenant's belongings and photograph well.
4. Repeatable. If you own several units, buy the same designs so you can replace a single piece easily.
5. The right size. Furniture that crowds a room makes it look smaller in photos. Measure every room before you buy.

Living room

The sofa is the piece tenants notice first and use most. Wooden-frame sofas are a good rental choice because the arms do not wear like padded fabric, and individual cushions can be cleaned or replaced.

For higher-end units, a recliner set adds comfort that tenants pay for. Choose a darker leather that hides marks; the 6-Seater Black Leather Recliner Sofa Set (KSh 245,000) is one example. Browse the full sofa sets range for more options.

Bedrooms

Choose solid beds with simple headboards that are easy to dust. A hardwood bed lasts several tenancies; an upholstered Chester bed looks softer but needs more care between tenants.

• Main bedroom: the Royal Dark Brown Hardwood Bed (KSh 78,000) or the 6 by 6 Dark Mahogany Wooden Bed Set (KSh 89,000).
• Second bedroom: the Solid Mahogany 5x6 Bed (KSh 85,000) leaves more space in a smaller room.
• Bedside tables: a matching pair, such as the White 2-Drawer Nightstand with Round Knobs (KSh 9,500), in every bedroom.

Leave mattresses and bedding to your own specification, and always use a mattress protector.

Dining and kitchen

A 4-seater suits a one-bedroom unit and a 6-seater a two- or three-bedroom unit. Glass, marble and sealed wood tops are easier to keep clean than raw timber. The 4-Seater White Dining Table Set (KSh 30,000) and the Black Dining Table Set, 6 Seater (KSh 22,500) are practical options. For a counter or breakfast bar, add a pair of counter stools.

Furnishing for the listing photos

Most tenants decide whether to view a unit from the photos. Furniture that is the right size and in one colour scheme makes a room look larger and better cared for, which supports a higher rent.

• Keep the floor visible. Pieces on legs, such as wooden-frame sofas and slim bedside tables, show more floor in photos than heavy, boxy furniture.
• Use one wood tone through the unit, and repeat one accent colour in cushions or a chair.
• Dress the dining table with a simple runner and the bed with plain, light bedding for the photos.
• Light the room. Photograph in daylight with curtains open; a white or cream coffee table bounces light round the room.

Keep an inventory for every unit

A written inventory protects both you and the tenant. List each piece with its product name, colour and condition, attach dated photos, and have the tenant sign it at check-in. At check-out, walk through the same list together. When something does need replacing, the product name lets you reorder the same design so the unit stays matched. If you manage several units, keep one sheet per building with the designs you use, so a caretaker or agent can request a replacement piece on WhatsApp in a single message.

It also helps to decide in advance which items are the tenant's responsibility. Many landlords supply the furniture and leave mattresses, bedding and kitchen items to the tenant, which keeps the furnished package simple and easier to maintain between lets.

Keeping it in good condition between tenants

• Take dated photos of every piece at check-in and check-out.
• Leave a short care note in the unit: how to clean the sofa, which polish to use on wood, and not to stand on recliner footrests.
• Fit felt pads under chair and table legs to protect floors.
• Between tenants, clean upholstery, oil or polish wooden pieces and tighten any loose bolts on beds and tables.
• Keep the product names of every piece so you can reorder a match. Our mahogany care guide covers wood.

Planning the spend

Work out the furnished premium you expect in your estate and how long you plan to let the unit, then set a budget per unit. Spend more on the sofa, the main bed and the dining set, which carry the listing photos, and less on secondary pieces. For current prices across every line, see the Kenya furniture price guide.

If you are furnishing several units at once, send us the list and the location. We deliver across Nairobi and to Mombasa and the coast, Kisumu and other towns; send your location for a quote.

Frequently asked questions

Furnishing a unit to let? Send us the room sizes and number of units. Ask us on WhatsApp, or visit our showroom at Rubis Utawala, Along Eastern Bypass, Nairobi, open every day from 8am to 8pm.

Prices checked on 9 October 2026. Last updated: 9 October 2026.