The cabinet on Wednesday, March 13, listed five new rules to govern short-stay apartments in Kenya.
A cabinet dispatch indicated that President William Ruto’s administration was forced to take action due to an alarming increase in crimes against persons frequenting the dwellings.
Ruto’s cabinet noted with concern that there were increased femicide cases in furnished residential apartments, lodgings and short-term rentals.
As such, the cabinet sanctioned the new rules to enhance security in the aforementioned premises.
Going forward, the premises will be mandated to maintain Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) Cameras in all common areas.
Additionally, measures should be put in place to ensure that the footage is recorded, stored, and can be retrieved if the need arises.
Another rule is that there should be an updated register documenting the verified identity of persons entering and exiting the premises.
This should be supported by proper identification documents; together with the time of entry and exit from the premises.
Owners of the short-term rentals and furnished apartments will also be required to maintain a current and accurate log of all vehicles, rickshaws, and motorcycles entering or departing from the premises.
On the fourth rule sanctioned by the government, owners of the premises should ensure that the dwellings are guarded by a properly registered private security service provider.
Lastly, all the short-rentals will keep a security occurrence book to record daily significant incidents and notable events.
This is in relation to the safety and security of residents, guests, and service providers.
