The minimum caretaker salary in Kenya per month is set by law, and it went up this year. Under the Regulation of Wages (General) (Amendment) Order 2026, which took effect from 1 May 2026, a "caretaker (buildings)" must be paid at least:
- KSh 37,426.84 in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and Eldoret
- KSh 34,947.96 in the former municipalities and the town councils of Mavoko, Ruiru and Limuru
- KSh 32,556.94 in all other areas
Those are basic monthly wages, and the order says they are exclusive of housing allowance. So the caretaker either lives in accommodation you provide, or you pay a rent allowance on top.
If you agreed a figure with your caretaker over the phone a few years ago, it is probably below these numbers. The 2024 order set the caretaker minimum at KSh 33,416.82 in the big cities, and the 2026 order replaced it.
Is your caretaker really a "caretaker"?
The wage order lists jobs by what the person does. "Caretaker (buildings)" sits in the same line as "saw doctor", well above the general labourer category, which includes the day watchman, cleaner, gardener and messenger. In the 2026 order a general labourer in the big cities has a minimum of KSh 18,047.40.
Plenty of people called "the caretaker" at a rental block do much more than watch the gate. They show vacant units, take complaints, call the plumber, chase late rent and report back to the owner. If that describes the job, pay against the caretaker line. Calling the role "watchman" on paper while expecting a caretaker's work is the kind of mismatch that comes up later at a labour office.
What else a landlord owes
The wage is the starting point. The Employment Act 2007 adds the rest.
Housing. Section 31 requires an employer to provide reasonable housing at or near the workplace, or to pay enough as rent, on top of the wage, for the employee to find reasonable accommodation. The exception is a contract that clearly consolidates a housing element into the basic pay. If the caretaker lives in a unit in your building, say so in the contract.
Rest and leave. At least one rest day in every seven, and not less than 21 working days of paid annual leave after each 12 months of service.
Pay slips. Section 20 requires a written statement each time wages are paid, showing the gross pay and every deduction.
Statutory deductions. As an employer you are responsible for registering and remitting the employee's NSSF contribution, the Social Health Insurance Fund contribution, the Affordable Housing Levy and PAYE where the pay is above the tax threshold. Rates and thresholds change, so check the current figures with NSSF, the Social Health Authority and KRA before you set up the payroll.
Notice. For someone paid monthly, either side can end the contract with 28 days' written notice unless the contract sets a longer period.
One point that catches landlords out: a casual worker who works continuously for a month or more is treated as a monthly-paid employee under section 37. A caretaker paid "kibarua" style for a year is, in law, an employee.
What to put in writing
The Employment Act requires a written contract for any job expected to last three months or more, and it makes the employer responsible for drawing it up. Most caretakers are hired after a phone call and a recommendation from a relative or the previous caretaker. A short written contract protects both of you.
Cover at least:
- Names, ID numbers and the property address.
- Start date and job title, using the wording in the wage order.
- Duties in plain words: gate, cleaning, showing units, reporting repairs, recording rent.
- Monthly pay, the payment date and how it is paid.
- Housing: the unit provided, or the allowance paid.
- Working hours, the rest day and annual leave.
- What the caretaker may and may not do with money. Spell out that they do not receive rent in cash or on their own phone.
- Who they report to in Kenya, and how often they report to you.
- Notice period.
The employee signs, or thumb-prints in the presence of a witness who is not the employer. Keep a scanned copy yourself, not only with the relative who arranged the hire.
Rent collection is where it goes wrong
For a landlord abroad, the caretaker is often the only person on site. That is the arrangement, and it is also the exposure.
A common version goes like this. Rent is paid to the caretaker in cash or to their phone. The caretaker passes some of it on. Vacant units are reported as occupied, or occupied ones as vacant. The owner, seven hours behind in Atlanta or two hours behind in London, finds out a year later when a tenant shows a receipt the owner never saw.
Some practical controls:
- Rent goes into an account in your name. A bank account or a paybill registered to you, never the caretaker's number.
- Keep your own tenant list. Unit, tenant name, phone number, rent and the date each lease started. Update it yourself.
- Reconcile monthly. Compare the statement against the tenant list on the same day every month.
- Call a tenant now and then. A short call to confirm who lives in a unit and what they pay is normal management, and you can do it from abroad.
- Video walk-throughs. Ask for a live video call of the building, not a recorded clip, at a time you choose.
- Pay the caretaker on time and in full. Late or underpaid staff are more likely to look for money elsewhere.
These controls also protect your caretaker and the relative who found them. If a question comes up, everyone has a record to point to.
Questions people ask
What is the minimum caretaker salary in Nairobi? KSh 37,426.84 a month basic under the 2026 order, effective 1 May 2026, plus housing or a housing allowance.
Do I have to pay the new rate from May? The order was gazetted after May but is deemed to have come into operation on 1 May 2026. Ask an advocate or the labour office whether you owe arrears for May onwards.
What about caretaker jobs with accommodation? Providing a room satisfies the housing duty in section 31 if the accommodation is reasonable. It does not reduce the basic wage below the minimum.
Can a relative be the caretaker? Yes, but the same rules apply. A written contract and a separate rent account matter even more when family is involved, because it keeps money questions out of family relationships.
Where Karibu fits
Karibu does not manage tenants or collect rent. What it does is check title records, confirm agents on the EARB register and show asking prices by area, which helps when you are deciding whether the rents your building reports look right for the location. See what a check costs on our pricing page.
Print the wage order line for your area and keep it with the signed contract.
Sources: Regulation of Wages (General) (Amendment) Order 2026, Legal Notice 108 of 2026, gazetted 26 June 2026, deemed in operation from 1 May 2026. Regulation of Wages (General) (Amendment) Order 2024, Legal Notice 164 of 2024, earlier rates. Employment Act 2007, sections 9, 17, 20, 27, 28, 31, 35 and 37. This article is general information, not legal advice. Speak to an advocate about your situation.