Free Tenancy Agreement Template for Kenya
A plain sample you can copy and adapt. General information, not legal advice.
Direct answer: A tenancy agreement for a Kenyan home should name the landlord and tenant, describe the premises, state the term, the rent and how it is paid, the deposit, each side's obligations, who does repairs, how the tenancy can end and the governing law, then be signed and witnessed. The sample below covers all of that. Copy it, fill in the brackets and have a lawyer review it before use.
The Template
Fill in the blanks directly below, they hold the same place as the [square brackets] in a plain copy of this template. This is a general residential sample for a fixed term such as a year, and a starting point you should change to fit your arrangement.
This runs in your browser. What you type here is never sent to Domby or saved, so it's gone if you leave the page, copy or print when you're done.
What Each Clause Is For
Parties and premises. Use full legal names and the exact address including the unit. A vague description is a common source of disputes. Term. State the start and end dates, not just "one year", so nobody has to work out the end date later.
Rent. Say how much, how often, by when and how it is paid, and commit to a receipt for each payment stating the period it covers. That last part protects both sides. Deposit. Kenya's Rent Restriction Act (Cap 296) says nothing about security deposits, no cap on size, no mandated refund timeline, so the agreement is the only place the amount, purpose and refund terms get fixed. Market practice is commonly around one to two months' rent, but write your own figure rather than assuming a legal default exists.
Obligations and repairs. Listing what each side must do, and who fixes what, removes most arguments about leaking roofs and broken sockets. Cap 296 puts a default repair obligation on the landlord, but only for a "controlled tenancy" (standard rent not exceeding KSh 2,500 a month, a threshold almost no real tenancy falls under today), so for an ordinary tenancy this clause is what actually fixes the obligation, not the Act. Rent review and renewal. Agreeing in writing before the new term avoids a rent increase surprise.
Ending the tenancy. Kenyan law does not allow a landlord to recover a property by self-help, force, changing locks or cutting utilities, under any circumstances; a tribunal order (for a controlled tenancy) or a court order (for everyone else) is always required. The notice period itself is set by this clause for an uncontrolled tenancy, since Cap 296's own notice schedule only reaches controlled tenancies. Signing. Both parties sign, ideally with a witness each, and each keeps a signed copy.
Before You Use It
A template is a starting point, not a substitute for advice. Whether your tenancy counts as "controlled" or "uncontrolled" under Cap 296 changes which rules actually apply, so have a lawyer read the final version, especially for a long term, a high rent or a commercial use.
Generating It Automatically in Domby
Typing the same details into a template for every tenant is slow and easy to get wrong. On the Pro plan, Domby generates a tenancy agreement from each tenant's own record, filling the parties, the premises, the term, the rent, the deposit and the schedule for you, and you can set your own wording once and reuse it. The record of dates and payments stays in the same place, so you also know when each tenancy is ending.
FAQ
Yes. You can copy it, fill in the brackets and use it. It is a general sample, so adapt it to your arrangement and have a lawyer review it, especially for a long term or a high rent.
It is not always required for the agreement to be valid, but a lawyer helps you avoid mistakes, particularly around which rules apply to your tenancy and how notice and deposit clauses are worded.
The names of both parties, the premises, the start and end dates, the rent and how it is paid, the deposit, what each side must do, who does repairs, how the tenancy can end and which law applies, plus signatures and witnesses.
No. Cap 296 does not mention deposits at all, so there is no statutory figure to fall back on. The agreement is what fixes the amount, what it covers and when it is refunded, so write it in clearly.
On the Pro plan, yes. Domby generates a tenancy agreement from each tenant's record, and you can set your own wording once and reuse it.
Related guides
Related reading: a tenant's rights in Kenya and how rent increases work in Kenya. See also the best rent collection methods in Kenya and the free rent receipt generator for Kenya. Browse all landlord guides.
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