SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – A renewed push for greater tenant protections in Sydney, Australia, is casting a spotlight on the universal challenges of urban housing affordability, a struggle intimately familiar to residents of Nairobi. On Monday, 17th November 2025, Sydney's Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, publicly urged New South Wales (NSW) Premier Chris Minns to implement urgent rental reforms to address the city's escalating housing crisis.

Mayor Moore's call to action, set to be presented to the city council, stems from what she describes as critical failings in state legislation that leave renters vulnerable. In the City of Sydney council area, renters constitute over half of all households. A significant number, more than 20,000 households, are in "housing stress," defined as spending over 30% of their income on housing costs. "Many of those living in rental accommodation are in dire straits and action is urgently needed... housing supply alone will not make housing affordable," Moore stated, emphasizing the risk of displacement from rent hikes and property redevelopments.

A central issue in the Sydney debate is the practice of "no-fault" evictions, where landlords can terminate a lease without providing a reason. While the NSW government has passed laws to ban this practice, Mayor Moore and other advocates argue these reforms have been inadequate and contain loopholes, such as those for evictions based on renovations, dubbed 'renovictions'.

A Familiar Story for Nairobians

The scenario in Sydney, a city over 11,000 kilometres away, resonates deeply with the realities of Nairobi's housing market. Kenya's capital is overwhelmingly a city of renters. According to the 2019 census data, Nairobi has the highest number of renters in the country, with 1.35 million households living in rental apartments. While comprehensive data on "housing stress" is less uniform, reports indicate a significant affordability gap, with a national housing deficit estimated at over 200,000 units annually. This deficit is most acute in the low-income segment.

Recent trends have further squeezed Nairobi's tenants. A 2025 report from real estate consultancy Knight Frank revealed that about 15% of the city's housing units have shifted to short-term rentals like Airbnb, contributing to a 10% rent increase over two years as residents now compete with tourists and business travelers for housing.

Comparing Tenant Protections: Kenya vs. NSW

The legal frameworks governing tenant rights in both jurisdictions present a study in contrasts. The recent reforms in NSW aim to eliminate no-grounds evictions, requiring landlords to provide a valid reason such as plans to sell, renovate, or move into the property.

In Kenya, tenant eviction is primarily governed by laws such as the Landlord and Tenant Act. These statutes require landlords to provide a reason for eviction, such as non-payment of rent or breach of the lease agreement. For residential units with periodic tenancies (e.g., month-to-month), the notice period is typically equivalent to the rent payment cycle, and a court order is required for a lawful eviction. For protected business tenancies, a two-month termination notice specifying the grounds is mandatory. This suggests that, on paper, Kenyan law does not permit "no-fault" evictions in the same manner as the system Sydney is trying to reform, offering a degree of security. However, enforcement and tenant awareness remain significant challenges.

Government Interventions: Boma Yangu and Supply-Side Solutions

Both governments are attempting to tackle their housing crises, primarily through supply-side initiatives. In Sydney, the focus is on increasing housing stock. In Kenya, the government's flagship Affordable Housing Programme (AHP), funded by the Housing Levy, aims to construct 200,000 units annually.

As of April 2025, approximately 140,000 units had been completed under the AHP. However, the program faces immense demand, with a recent release of 5,000 units attracting over 500,000 applicants via the Boma Yangu platform. The initiative has also been hampered by legal challenges, rising construction costs, and concerns over the displacement of existing communities for new projects.

As Sydney debates the nuances of tenant security, its struggles offer a critical lens for Nairobi. While Kenya's legal framework provides foundational protections against arbitrary evictions, the immense pressure from a housing deficit, rising rents, and the expanding short-term rental market underscores a similar vulnerability for tenants. The global lesson from both cities is clear: addressing the urban housing crisis requires a dual approach that not only builds more houses but also robustly protects the rights and security of the millions who call a rental property home.