How Landlords Along Thika Road Can Unlock Capital From Rental Property

2026-07-25

Landlords along Thika Road can borrow against rental property without selling it, using the title deed or documented rent as security. With strong tenant demand from Ruaraka through Ruiru and Juja, the corridor's rental yields make it one of the more financeable property markets in Kenya.

Reviewed by the Fantom Capital credit team. Last updated 24 July 2026. Figures are indicative and subject to your application and a vehicle or property valuation.

Why the Thika Road corridor finances well

Lenders assess property on two things: what it is worth and how reliably it earns. The Thika Superhighway corridor scores unusually well on both, which is why property-secured lending is more straightforward here than in many parts of Kenya.

• Sustained tenant demand. Ruaraka, Kasarani, Roysambu, Zimmerman, Githurai, Kahawa, Ruiru and Juja absorb tenants continuously: workers commuting into Nairobi, students around the universities and colleges along the corridor, and families priced out of the city centre.
• Genuine transport infrastructure. The superhighway put the corridor within a predictable commute of the CBD and the industrial areas, which is what underpins rent.
• Depth of the resale market. A lender's security is only as good as its liquidity. Property here trades.
• Low vacancy on well-run units. Short void periods mean rent-based lending assessments hold up.

What landlords along the corridor typically borrow for

The pattern is consistent, and it is almost always about the asset base rather than consumption:

• Adding units to an existing plot. The land is owned, services are connected and the marginal cost of additional units is far below buying new land. The single highest-return use of a landlord loan in this corridor.
• Completing a stalled build. Half-finished blocks earn nothing and deteriorate. Finishing converts a dead asset into an earning one.
• Buying an adjacent parcel before someone else does.
• Upgrading to lift rent. Water storage, solar, tiling, secure parking, reliable internet, all targeted improvements that move a unit into a higher rent bracket in a competitive market.
• Refinancing expensive short-term debt into cheaper property-secured borrowing.

What you can borrow

Fantom Capital lends KES 100,000 to KES 10 million against property, up to 70% of valuation. A landlord in Ruiru with a block valued at KES 9 million can therefore look at up to roughly KES 6.3 million, subject to affordability and the rent roll.

Two structures are available and they suit different situations. Borrowing against the title deed is assessed on the property's value and reaches further. Borrowing against rental income is assessed on documented rent and is typically approved faster. We set out which fits when in title deed loans versus landlord loans.

Documentation, and the one thing that delays everyone

You will need the original title deed in your name, National ID and KRA PIN, twelve months of bank statements showing rent received, tenancy agreements, a current valuation and spousal consent where the property is matrimonial.

The delay, almost every time, is land rates and land rent arrears. A charge cannot be registered cleanly against a property with outstanding rates, and clearing them at county level is not a same-day exercise. Check your position and settle any arrears before you apply. It is entirely within your control, and it is the difference between a smooth application and a stalled one.

The second most common issue is undocumented rent. If tenants pay cash and little of it passes through a bank account, a lender cannot verify income that genuinely exists. If you expect to borrow within the next year, start banking rent now. Twelve months of clean statements materially changes what you qualify for.

Being realistic about the corridor

Sustained construction along Thika Road is good for value and competitive for rent. New units arrive continuously, which means an ageing block with no water storage, poor security and tired finishes will see longer voids and softening rent even while the corridor overall performs well.

Build that into your plan. If you are borrowing to add units, ask honestly whether the local sub-market absorbs them or whether the same money spent upgrading existing units yields more. If you are borrowing to expand into a new area, look at the actual yield data first. Our sister company Fantom Estates lists investment-grade rental property and advises on yields across the Thika Road, Ruiru and Kasarani corridors.

And keep the instalment serviceable at realistic occupancy, not full occupancy. A block that only services its loan when every unit is let is a block one bad quarter from arrears.

Local, and it matters

Fantom Capital is based at Ruaraka Square on Thika Road. We value property in this corridor constantly, which means faster valuations, better-calibrated numbers and a lender who does not need the sub-market explained.

We are licensed and regulated by the Central Bank of Kenya and process your data under the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019, worth confirming with anyone you hand a title deed to. See how to verify a lender if you are comparing.

For the full mechanics, read our guide to landlord loans in Kenya, or go straight to landlord and title deed loans. Call 0723 000 500 or visit us at Ruaraka Square.