+254-725-452444 info@apricotproperty.com

The Property Letting Process

Property letting services for landlords & tenants

We are on a mission to help you get your property on the market and prepared for viewings. And help prospective tenants in their rental searches!

At Apricot Property we are proud of the wealth of knowledge and experience we can offer you as a landlord. Our experienced lettings team will take care of the day to day management of your property so you don’t have to worry about it. We offer different levels of services which you can select to meet your individual requirements.

If you are a first time landlord, this guide will provide a useful step-by-step walkthrough of the letting process from start to finish. If you already have experience as a landlord, it may still provide a useful outline of what to expect when working with Apricot Property.

How we do it (for landlords)

Letting your property doesn’t have to be complicated. We take the stress out of letting your property by doing the work for you. Our team of lettings experts are trained to match the right tenant to their ideal property and make the process as easy as possible for landlords.

How we do it (for tenants)

With thousands of rental properties in Kenya, Apricot Property has a wealth of experience when it comes to looking for a property you can rent. Whether you are new to renting or are already a tenant, we can support you through the entire process. From finding your dream rental to getting you moved in, we will be there every step of the journey.

Initial contact.
Ask basic questions about the tenant’s employment, reasons for moving and preferred move-in date.

Review application.
Complete the detailed rental application for that includes personal details, rental history, employment information and references.

Government Identity.
Request a copy of a government issued identification document. e.g. national ID, driver licence, or passport copy. This is to help us in verifying applicant’s identity.

Proof of income.
Request a recent paystub, annual tax returns or an employers’ letter to confirm the tenant income. Typically the income should be 2.5 to 3 times the rent amount.

Employment verification.
Contact the employer to confirm the applicant’s job status, income and job stability.

Previous landlords history.
Contact the previous landlord(s) to obtain the applicant’s rental history, including payments punctuality, property care and any disputes / issues incurred.

Eviction history.
Check for any past evictions through the tenant screening service or via public records.

Criminal record.
Conduct a criminal background check to identify any past criminal activity. Also ensure compliance with local agencies e.g. DCI regarding criminal history in the past rentals.

Public records.
Search public records for any lawsuits, judgements, convictions or lien placed against the applicant.

Character reference.
Contact the personal references provided by the applicant to gain insights about their character and reliability.

Professional reference.
Inquire with the employer(s) or coworker(s) to further verify the applicant’s job stability and responsibilities.

In-person or virtual meeting.
Arrange for an interview with the applicant to discuss their rental history, applicant expectations and to seek any clarifications on the details mentioned in the application.

Approval or denial.
Decide whether to accept or deny the application based on the information collected and from the outcome of interview.

Notification.
Inform the applicant of our decision in writing.

Lease agreement.
If approved, we will proceed to inform the landlord, create a draft the tenancy agreement and obtain signatures from the tenant and landlord.

Congratulations.
You are now ready to move in to your new rental property on the appointed date. We at Apricot Property have the resources to help and guide you in your move.

Frequently asked questions

We have developed a series of answers for any letting questions or queries you may have. Feel free to browse below, and hopefully you can gain some extra clarity as to what to expect before, after and during the letting process with Apricot Property Solutions Ltd.

How does the lettings process begin?

The process begins by arranging a market appraisal at a time with yourselves, where we will run through the property details and gather as much information as we can, and find out your motivation behind wanting to market the property. We will also advise on the best way that we can maximize the value for yourself.

What happens when I instruct Apricot Property to commence letting?

When you instruct Apricot Property, we will agree on the rental price and the date that the property is available from, how and when would you like us to conduct the property viewing. We would also need a couple of documents to completed by you in order to start the process.

What happens before you market my property?

Before we start marketing your property we will arrange for a professional photographer to start taking the photos and / or draw up floor-plans if applicable.

Who will conduct the viewings?

Apricot Property will organize all the viewings and we will accompany the applicants on each viewing. We will keep you posted throughout the process, so if there’s anything that we feel needs to be changed, or any modifications that can be made to help then we would advise you of that, and we would also provide feedback on a regular basis as well.

What happens once a tenant has made an offer?

Once you receive an offer on your property, we will provide the full offer details to yourself. We will negotiate with the tenant on your behalf as well, and if this offer is accepted we will inform you and the tenant on the same.

What happens once an offer has been accepted?

Once the offer has been accepted we will prepare the draft tenancy agreement, which we will send over to yourself and the tenant. We will also start the referencing process, once we have the confirmation from yourself and the tenant that you are happy with the contract we will send the final version to be signed. We will also send over the reference report for your approval, we will collect the initial rental deposit and confirm the property rental to the tenant.

What are my responsibilities as a landlord?

Your responsibilities as a landlord are that the property complies with current regulations, such as gas or electrical safety, fire, security, licensing, insurance, taxes and others.

Who organizes the tenant move in?

We will organise the move in on your behalf, we will arrange an inventory and check in that will take place on the first day of the tenancy. Once that is completed, the keys will be handed over to the tenant. If we are managing the property, this is when our property manager will step in and help with any maintenance and queries. If you are managing the property yourself, we will provide the personal contact details of the tenant to you.

How do I make an offer?

You make an offer by completing our tenancy application form, where we will ask you additional information, such as who will be living in the property, offer amount, start date of the tenancy, length of tenancy and any additional requests. Once an offer has been agreed we will proceed to start the rental process with the landlord.

What happens once my offer has been agreed?

The next steps involved are introducing you to our tenancy team who will send you a copy of the tenancy agreement. They will also request you for background reference checks. The referencing process entails us confirming your income, obtaining a previous landlords reference, conducting a background criminality checks, and any other further checks that we require.

What happens if my referencing fails?

If you believe your referencing is going to fail, it’s important to contact us as soon as possible, as there may be an alternative option such as for example adding a guarantor to your application, or paying your rent in advance.

What do I need to do in order to rent from Apricot Property?

In order to rent through us, you may to visit our offices or send us the correct documents to prove that you are actually eligible to rent a property.

When do I get my keys?

The keys will be released to you once we receive the rental deposits as well current or advance rent(s) agreed upon, a tenancy agreement has been signed, and all other tenancy documents completed, and we have received all the compliance documents from the landlord such as water &/or electricity accounts. We will then schedule for an inventory to take place, once it has been completed, we will send you copies all tenancy documents completed.

How soon can I move in?

The process from making an offer to moving in can be as quick as few working days, with the help from yourself to complete references, sign all tenancy documentation, relevant payments made, as well as the property being available by that particular date. If your start of tenancy is more than the days agreed from the offer agreed date, we will make sure that we complete the paperwork as soon as possible.

What happens when I move in?

Once you move into the property, and if the property is managed by Apricot Property, we will ask our property manager to introduce themselves to you, should you have any problems during the tenancy. If the property is managed by a landlord, we will pass these details onto you.

Testimonials

Read what some of our happy clients have to say about us

Rentals available

Find the latest property in your price range for rent from our trusted landlords.

The Property Letting Process

Property letting services for landlords & tenants

How we do it (for landlords)

Site visit

Discuss & Agree

Mandate

Marketing plan

Viewings

Choose the tenant

Tenancy agreement & payments

Prepare your property

Handover

How we do it (for tenants)

Prescreening

Identity verification

Employment income & verification

Rental history

Background checks

Reference checks

The interview

Decision & documentation

The move in

Frequently asked questions

Testimonials

Rentals available

Need help letting your property?