Nairobi landowners will begin paying new land rates from January 1, 2025, following a notice issued by the county government under the National Rating Act, 2024.
The revised charges were announced by Urban Planning Executive Patrick Mbogo, marking the first major rate adjustment in years. The new system will apply to properties assessed under the 2019 Draft Valuation Roll as well as those located in designated flat rate zones.
According to the notice, flat rate zone properties will now attract annual charges ranging between Sh2,560 and Sh4,800, depending on the size of the land. Parcels measuring up to 0.1 hectares will pay Sh2,560, while those above 0.4 hectares will be charged Sh4,800 per year.
For properties valued through assessment including residential, commercial, and agricultural plots—the new rate has been set at 0.115 percent of the unimproved site value (USV) annually. The USV refers to the market value of land excluding any buildings or developments.
Governor Johnson Sakaja has urged owners of illegal or unapproved buildings to take advantage of the Regularisation of Unauthorised Development Act, 2025, to legalise their properties. He warned that strict enforcement will follow once the regularisation window closes.
To cushion property owners from sudden cost surges, the county government outlined transition measures. Landowners whose revised rates are lower than 2022 levels will continue paying the 2022 rates, while those whose charges have more than doubled will only pay double the 2022 amount.
Owners who objected to the 2019 Draft Valuation Roll will continue paying their old rates until their cases are resolved by the valuation board. Additionally, landowners whose parcels were not included in the 2019 draft roll have been advised to contact the chief valuer at City Hall for assessment and inclusion.
Sectional titleholders, such as apartment owners, are also required to open individual land rate accounts under the new system.
