Choosing your tools
Choosing property management software in Kenya
A practical checklist for landlords and property managers comparing rent records, tenant workflows, M-Pesa and reporting.
Start with the work you need to do
List the records your team maintains today: properties, units, tenants, leases, invoices, receipts, utilities and repairs. Choose a system that connects these records around the tenancy. A dashboard becomes useful when the underlying information is complete and your team can keep it current.
Distinguish payment records from payment automation
Recording an M-Pesa, bank or cash receipt is different from connecting a Paybill. Ask whether the software supports manual entries, transaction references, partial payments and tenant credit. If you want automation, check the supported Paybill setup, payment matching, reconciliation and activation costs.
Compare the full portfolio cost
Compare plans using your actual number of billable units and team members. Include vacant units when the pricing policy counts them. Check whether graduated unit bands apply only to the units inside each band, whether a minimum applies, and how annual billing, SMS top-ups and optional services affect the amount payable.
Check who can see and change records
A caretaker, accounts team member, owner and tenant have different responsibilities. Look for roles that fit your team and check property-level access where needed. Ask how multiple organizations are separated and whether each organization needs its own subscription.
Try a complete working cycle
Before moving a whole portfolio, work through one property and a tenancy: create the lease, issue an invoice, record a part payment, review the remaining balance and produce a receipt. Then check the tenant view, the arrears report and a maintenance request. Use this cycle to identify missing details before importing more records.