Nairobi Land Rates 2027: Unchanged Rates, Fair Caps and an Easy Bill Check

Updated 7 November 2026

Nairobi land rates for 2027 are reported to stay at the same levels as 2026. According to three independent reports of a Nairobi City County notice dated 4 September 2026, rates for 2027 become due on 1 January 2027. Valued residential, commercial and agricultural plots pay 0.115% a year on their value in the 2019 Draft Valuation Roll. Plots in flat-rate zones pay KSh 2,560 to KSh 4,800 a year depending on size. Transitional caps tied to what you paid in 2022 still apply. Confirm your figure on your official bill.

Sources, checked on 7 November 2026: we could not open the official Kenya Gazette copy of the 2027 notice (the Kenya Law PDF was blocked), so this guide relies on three independent, dated reports of that notice: Vellum’s Kenya Gazette county round-up (week ended 4 September 2026), Kenyans.co.ke (6 September 2026) and The Eastleigh Voice (6 September 2026). All three report the same 2027 bands, the 0.115% rate on values in the 2019 Draft Valuation Roll and the 2022-based caps. The earlier 2026 notice, Gazette Notice No. 15899 of 2025, is shown for background only. Your official bill on the county’s NairobiPay portal is what you actually owe.

Contents: 2027 rates · Caps · Worked examples · Check and pay · Objections · Arrears · FAQ

Nairobi land rates for 2027 at a glance

The county set the rates under the National Rating Act, 2024. The schedule has two parts.

Flat-rate zones (charged by plot size, per year):

Valued properties (private and public plots in the 2019 Draft Valuation Roll): residential, commercial and agricultural plots all pay 0.115% of the plot’s value in the roll per year.

Which value? The 2027 reports describe the 0.115% as applying to the plot’s value in the 2019 Draft Valuation Roll. The 2026 notice called this the unimproved site value, meaning the land without buildings, but the 2027 reports we read do not repeat that term. Check the value basis and the figure printed on your own bill rather than assuming it.

How Nairobi land rates are capped against 2022

The 0.115% charge applies to the new values in the 2019 Draft Valuation Roll, subject to two transitional rules carried over from the 2026 notice:

• if your new rate is lower than your 2022 rate, you keep paying the 2022 rate;
• if your new rate is more than double your 2022 rate, you pay double the 2022 rate instead.

In practice, most owners will pay somewhere between their 2022 bill and twice that amount. Keep your 2022 rates statement, because it is the reference point for both rules.

Worked examples

These examples show the arithmetic only and are not bills. Your actual roll value, classification and 2022 rate come from the county’s records.

• Roll value KSh 10 million, 2022 rate KSh 8,000. New rate: 0.115% × 10,000,000 = KSh 11,500. That is above KSh 8,000 but below double (KSh 16,000), so you pay KSh 11,500.
• Roll value KSh 40 million, 2022 rate KSh 15,000. New rate: KSh 46,000. That is more than double the 2022 rate (KSh 30,000), so the cap applies and you pay KSh 30,000.
• Roll value KSh 3 million, 2022 rate KSh 5,000. New rate: KSh 3,450. That is below the 2022 rate, so you keep paying KSh 5,000.
• A 0.05-hectare plot in a flat-rate zone pays KSh 2,560 for the year.

How to check and pay your Nairobi land rates

Nairobi land rates are billed per plot, so each title or sectional unit should have its own account.

1. Log in to NairobiPay at nairobiservices.go.ke and open the property or land rates service.
2. Search with your plot number and request the current land rates bill. Check the plot number, owner name and roll value against your title or search.
3. Pay only through the channels on the bill. Do not hand cash to anyone.
4. Download and keep the receipt, and request a rates clearance certificate when you plan to sell, charge or transfer the land.

The notice also requires sectional title holders, such as apartment owners, to open individual rates accounts. If your block still has one account in the developer’s or management company’s name, ask the management company how the split will be handled and register your own account.

Before buying, confirm the rates position along with the title. Our guides on doing a land search on Ardhisasa and getting a title deed explain the land registry steps, and our stamp duty guide covers the transfer tax.

Objections and missing plots

Owners who objected to the 2019 Draft Valuation Roll keep paying their old rates until the Valuation Board hears and determines their objections. If your land was not valued or does not appear in the draft roll, the county asks you to contact the Chief Valuer at City Hall. Keep copies of any objection you filed and the acknowledgement you received.

Arrears and enforcement

Kenyans.co.ke reported in September 2026 that the county has ended lenient payment plans and appointed six private debt recovery firms to pursue owners with land rate arrears older than three years. If you are in arrears, get a statement from the county, check it against your receipts, and agree a settlement through official channels before penalties grow. Unpaid rates can also hold up a sale or loan, because buyers and banks ask for a rates clearance certificate.

What this means for landlords and buyers

For landlords, Nairobi land rates are a fixed annual cost to build into rent and service-charge budgets. For buyers, they are part of due diligence: check the roll value, the 2022 base and any arrears before you sign, and agree in the sale agreement who clears outstanding rates. Investors comparing locations can see current land values in our prime Nairobi land prices guide.

Land rates are not the same as land rent

Owners sometimes confuse Nairobi land rates with land rent, also called ground rent. Land rates are a county tax on rateable land, set under the National Rating Act and collected by Nairobi City County. Land rent is a separate annual charge payable to the national government on leasehold land, under the terms of the lease. A leasehold plot in Nairobi can therefore attract both, and a buyer or bank will usually want clearance for each. Check your title to see whether it is freehold or leasehold, and ask the Ministry of Lands for a land rent statement if it is leasehold.

A quick checklist for owners

• Find your plot number and confirm it appears in the 2019 Draft Valuation Roll.
• Get your 2022 rates statement to check the caps.
• Pull your current bill on NairobiPay and compare it with the arithmetic above.
• File or follow up any objection through the Valuation Board process.
• Pay through official channels only and keep every receipt.
• Diarise 1 January 2027, when the year’s Nairobi land rates fall due.

Frequently asked questions

Have Nairobi land rates gone up for 2027?

No. The 2027 rates match 2026: 0.115% of the 2019 Draft Valuation Roll value for valued plots and KSh 2,560 to KSh 4,800 for flat-rate zones.

When are Nairobi land rates for 2027 due?

The county’s notice says they become due on 1 January 2027.

Is there a cap on the new Nairobi land rates?

Yes. If the new rate is more than double your 2022 rate you pay double the 2022 rate, and if it is lower than the 2022 rate you keep paying the 2022 rate.

Where do I get my land rates bill?

On the county’s NairobiPay portal, nairobiservices.go.ke, using your plot number.

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