Trubay Stayz

Trubay Stayz Trubay Stayz connects guests with verified property hosts across Kenya. Book a verified stay and enjoy peace of mind.

Trubay Stayz is a Kenya-based short-stay and vacation rental platform connecting guests with verified apartments, serviced homes, and holiday stays across the country. We help property owners earn from short-term rentals while giving guests affordable, comfortable alternatives to hotels. Hosts get full control of their listings, transparent fees, and local support. Guests enjoy secure bookings, qu

ality stays, and responsive customer service. Trubay Stayz focuses on trust, simplicity, and local hospitality — for both hosts and travelers.

"I want to do short-term rental but I don't know where to start."We hear this every week from Nairobi property owners. S...
10/04/2026

"I want to do short-term rental but I don't know where to start."

We hear this every week from Nairobi property owners. So let us make it simple.

Here is the actual path from an unfurnished apartment to a first booking in under two weeks:

1️⃣ Check your lease or title — does it allow short-term letting? (Usually yes.)
2️⃣ Register on KRA iTax for the Monthly Rental Income tax regime. Takes under an hour.
3️⃣ Furnish — prioritise bedding, Wi-Fi, and a desk. Budget KES 90,000 for a solid setup.
4️⃣ Book a photographer — KES 8,000 to 12,000. Highest-ROI step you will take.
5️⃣ List on Airbnb and Trubay Stayz. Both platforms serve different guest segments.
6️⃣ Set a competitive opening rate. Build reviews fast. Then raise your price.

Or: sign up with Trubay Stayz and our team handles steps 3 through 6 for you.

We published the full guide this week — every step covered, with 2026 pricing data.

Link in first comment. WhatsApp channel link there too.
"I want to do short-term rental, but I don't know where to start."bi

That apartment earning KES 32,000 a month from a long-term tenant? 🏠It could be generating KES 80,000 to KES 110,000 a m...
09/04/2026

That apartment earning KES 32,000 a month from a long-term tenant? 🏠

It could be generating KES 80,000 to KES 110,000 a month as a well-managed short-term rental. Same property. Same neighbourhood. Different model.

This is not a projection — it is the actual income range we see on Trubay Stayz for one-bedroom apartments in Kilimani, Westlands, and Lavington right now.

Here is what makes the difference:
✅ Professional photos (guests decide in under 3 seconds)
✅ Dynamic pricing — higher rates on weekends and peak seasons
✅ Fast Wi-Fi and a proper workspace for business guests
✅ M-Pesa payouts so you never wait on bank transfers

We have published the complete 2026 guide to Airbnb hosting in Kenya — covering the real setup costs, KRA tax requirements, neighbourhood pricing benchmarks, and what honest earnings look like.

Is that apartment earning KES 32,000 a month from a long-term tenant? 🏠 🏠

💬 Comment below: Do you own property in Nairobi? Let us know which neighbourhood — we can tell you what it could realistically earn.

🏠 Most people think short-term rental management in Kenya is a two-option decision: manage it yourself, or hire someone ...
02/04/2026

🏠 Most people think short-term rental management in Kenya is a two-option decision: manage it yourself, or hire someone to do it for you.

The problem with option one is that real DIY short-term rental management — daily guest messages, unpredictable check-ins, cleaning coordination, weekly pricing reviews — is genuinely demanding. It works if your property is nearby and you have a flexible schedule. For most working Kenyans, it becomes unsustainable within six months.

The problem with option two is the numbers. A manager charges 20–25% of booking revenue. Airbnb takes another 17–20% on top. You end up losing 35–40% of every booking to fees before your M-Pesa receives anything.

There is a third option that most people do not know exists yet.

Listing on Trubay Stayz gives you what a manager provides — guest support, booking management, local assistance — without stacking fees on top of platform fees. You get paid directly in KES via M-Pesa. Our team is based in Nairobi. No currency conversion. No surprises.

We just published a full guide comparing DIY vs hiring vs the platform model. Real calculations. A self-assessment quiz. And an honest answer for each type of property owner.

Link in the first comment — worth reading before you decide anything.

⏱ Before you decide to manage your Nairobi property yourself — run this number first.Most Kenyan landlords who choose to...
02/04/2026

⏱ Before you decide to manage your Nairobi property yourself — run this number first.

Most Kenyan landlords who choose to self-manage their property correctly estimate the obvious costs: a call or two when rent is due, a plumber when something breaks.

What they consistently underestimate is what happens the year their tenant leaves and they have to find a new one. Or the year arrears start and they have to chase the situation personally, one uncomfortable call at a time.

Here is a more honest time audit for a single rental property in Kenya, best case:

Monthly rent follow-up: 6–12 hours a year
Maintenance coordination: 12–36 hours a year
Property inspections: 4–8 hours a year
Admin and KRA records: 12–24 hours a year
One tenant vacancy: 10–20 hours extra
One arrears situation: 20–50 hours extra

Best case, no major events: 34–80 hours a year.
One vacancy plus one arrears problem: up to 150 hours.

Professional management at 10% on a KES 50,000/month rent costs KES 60,000 a year — roughly KES 400–1,765 per hour of management work avoided, depending on how your year goes.

The breakeven point: if your time is worth above KES 1,200–1,500 per hour, professional management likely pays for itself.

We built a full guide on this — self-assessment questions, the real calculation, and when neither traditional option makes sense. Link in the first comment.
What they consistently underestimate is what happens the year their tenant leaves, and they have to find a new one. Or the year arrears start and they have to chase the situation personally, one uncomfortable call at a time.

💡 Before you hire someone to manage your short-stay property in Kenya, run these numbers first.Airbnb charges hosts roug...
27/03/2026

💡 Before you hire someone to manage your short-stay property in Kenya, run these numbers first.

Airbnb charges hosts roughly 3%, and guests an additional 14 to 16%. That is around KES 850 to KES 1,000 gone from a KES 5,000 per night booking before you even begin.

Now add a property manager on top. Standard short-term rental management in Kenya runs 15 to 25% of booking revenue. Add that to Airbnb's cut and you are losing 32 to 40% of every booking before your M-Pesa receives anything.

On a property earning KES 80,000 per month gross — that is KES 25,000 to KES 32,000 disappearing into fees alone. Every single month.

We broke this down in full — the complete guide to property management fees in Kenya, specifically for short-stay properties. What managers actually charge. What Airbnb takes on top. And when a local platform like Trubay Stayz, which pays you directly in KES with no conversion, gives you a better financial outcome.

Link in the first comment. Worth 8 minutes before you sign anything.
Now add a property manager on top. Standard short-term rental management in Kenya runs 15 to 25% of booking revenue. Add that to Airbnb's cut, and you are losing 32 to 40% of every booking before your M-Pesa receives anything.

📋 Your property manager is charging you 10%. But is that the only thing they are charging you?This is a question most Ke...
27/03/2026

📋 Your property manager is charging you 10%. But is that the only thing they are charging you?

This is a question most Kenyan property owners never ask — until they look at twelve months of management statements and realise their net income does not match what they expected.

Here is what many management contracts in Kenya quietly include that the headline percentage does not tell you:

A setup fee of KES 5,000 to KES 20,000 when you first sign on. A vacancy fee — sometimes the full monthly management fee — even during the months your property sits empty. A maintenance markup of 10 to 20% on top of every contractor invoice. A lease renewal fee of up to one month's rent when your existing tenant stays on.

None of these are illegal. Some are reasonable. But they significantly affect your actual net income — and most property owners only discover them after they have already signed.

We just published a complete guide to property management fees in Kenya. What managers should charge, what they should include, what to look for in the contract, and how to verify a manager before you hire them.

Free. No sign-up. Link in the first comment.

If you have a management contract, it is worth comparing against the benchmarks in this guide.

🏠 Do you own property in Kenya but live abroad — or just cannot manage the day-to-day demands of hosting?You are not alo...
23/03/2026

🏠 Do you own property in Kenya but live abroad — or just cannot manage the day-to-day demands of hosting?

You are not alone. A growing number of Kenyan property owners in Nairobi, Diani, and Naivasha are in exactly this position: they have a property that should be earning. But between the time difference, the full-time job, or simply not being physically in Kenya — managing guest check-ins and midnight messages is not realistic.

This is where co-hosting comes in.

A co-host is someone you invite to manage your Airbnb listing on your behalf. They handle guests, coordinate cleaners, respond to reviews, and keep your property running — in exchange for a percentage of each booking. In Kenya, the typical co-host fee is between 15 and 20%.

We just published a complete guide to Airbnb co-hosting in Kenya — how it works, what to pay, where to find a reliable co-host, and what your agreement must include. We also cover when co-hosting is not the right solution, and what a local platform like Trubay Stayz offers that co-hosting simply cannot.

If you or someone you know owns property in Kenya and it is not earning what it should — this is worth reading.

Link in the first comment 👇
If you or someone you know owns property in Kenya and it is not earning what it should, this is worth reading.iveIncomeKenya

💡 If you earn rental income in Kenya and you have not filed a monthly return with KRA, this post is for you — and it is ...
21/03/2026

💡 If you earn rental income in Kenya and you have not filed a monthly return with KRA, this post is for you — and it is not meant to scare you. It is meant to help you.

Here is what most Kenyan short-stay hosts do not know:

Every month you earn more than KES 12,000 from guests — on Airbnb, Trubay Stayz, or any direct booking — you owe KRA 10% of that amount as Monthly Rental Income tax. That return must be filed by the 20th of the following month via iTax. It takes under 15 minutes once you are registered.

The penalty for not filing? KES 1,000 per missed return, or 5% of what was owed — plus 1% interest monthly on anything unpaid. A host who has been renting for two years without filing can easily face arrears of KES 100,000+ in penalties alone.

We just published a complete guide — the exact rate, how to file step by step, when VAT applies, what changes if you have a company, and how to regularise your position if you are behind.

No judgment here. Most hosts simply were not told. Now you know.

Link in the first comment 👇

📊 Is your Nairobi vacation rental priced right — or are you leaving money behind every single month?This is not a trick ...
12/03/2026

📊 Is your Nairobi vacation rental priced right — or are you leaving money behind every single month?

This is not a trick question. Most property owners in Kenya set a nightly rate once, based on a rough feeling of what seems fair, and then never touch it again. It is one of the most expensive habits a host can have.

Here is a real example. A one-bedroom apartment in Kilimani listed at KES 3,500 per night — below the neighbourhood median of KES 4,000–6,000 — at 70% occupancy earns roughly KES 73,500 per month. The same apartment at KES 4,200 per night and the same occupancy earns KES 88,200. That is KES 14,700 extra every single month. From zero additional work. Just from knowing your correct market rate.

We just published a full vacation rental pricing guide for Nairobi — every major neighbourhood, seasonal adjustments, dynamic pricing explained simply, and the exact mistakes that cost Kenyan hosts money.

The link is in the comments below. If you have a property — or know someone who does — this is worth 9 minutes of your time.
Here is a real example. A one-bedroom apartment in Kilimani, listed at KES 3,500 per night — below the neighbourhood median of KES 4,000–6,000 — at 70% occupancy earns roughly KES 73,500 per month. The same apartment at KES 4,200 per night and the same occupancy earns KES 88,200. That is KES 14,700 extra every single month. From zero additional work. Just from knowing your correct market rate.

Your Nairobi apartment could be earning KES 87,000/month. Here's how 👇Most property owners in Kenya are leaving serious ...
12/03/2026

Your Nairobi apartment could be earning KES 87,000/month. Here's how 👇

Most property owners in Kenya are leaving serious money on the table — not because their property isn't good enough, but because they don't know what it's actually worth on the short-stay market.

We broke down the real numbers:
📍 Westlands 1-bed → KES 87,000–101,000/month
📍 Kilimani studio → KES 62,000–72,000/month
📍 Ruaka 2-bed → KES 107,000–123,000/month
📍 Diani 2-bed (peak) → KES 90,000–200,000/month

These aren't promises. These are real figures from active listings, at realistic occupancy rates, on a platform that pays you in M-Pesa.

The full guide is in our bio link — every neighbourhood, every property type, every honest number.

Is your property on the list? Drop the 📍 emoji in the comments and tell us your area.

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💰 You might be sitting on more money than you think.If you own a furnished apartment in Nairobi, whether it's in Westlan...
10/03/2026

💰 You might be sitting on more money than you think.

If you own a furnished apartment in Nairobi, whether it's in Westlands, Kilimani, South B, or Ruaka, here's a number that might surprise you.

A one-bedroom apartment in Westlands, listed on a short-term rental platform and managed actively, earns between KES 87,000 and KES 101,000 per month at a 65–75% occupancy rate.

That's not a best-case estimate. That's what properties on our platform are earning right now in cash, paid via M-Pesa.

We just published a full breakdown of short-term rental income in Kenya by neighbourhood, by property type, and by season. Nairobi, Diani, Naivasha, Nakuru, it's all in there.

If your property is sitting empty, earning below its potential on a long-term lease, or listed on Airbnb and losing money to fees and currency conversion, this article is worth 8 minutes of your time.

Read it using the link below 👇in the comments, then come back and tell us: does your property have short-stay potential?

Address

Nairobi CBD
Nairobi
00100

Telephone

+254701750215

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