Community Essence Map

Community Essence: Kigali City (Realities of Renting for both tenants and landloads)

During our exploration in Kigali City, we walked through neighborhoods such as Remera, Kimironko, Nyamirambo, Gisozi, kacyiru, Kabuga and others. We spoke with 28 individuals, including 17 landlords and 11 tenants, to understand how renting actually works on the ground. What emerged was a picture of a housing system built on trust but without tools to support that trust.

Across both cities, renting is shaped by informal agreements, verbal promises, mobile money screenshots, and personal assumptions. Many people said renting “depends on luck” or “depends on who you meet,” showing an absence of predictable, reliable processes.

Key reviews and Quotes

We gathered stories that highlighted recurring tensions: • “I paid deposit two weeks before moving, but when I arrived, the toilet was still broken.” Tenant, Kimironko • “Some tenants damage things and leave at night. I just find the house empty.” -Landlord, Remera • “We trust screenshots, but someone can edit them.” Tenant, Kimironko • “If we agree verbally, tenants deny later. Paper contracts get lost.” Landlord, Nyamirambo • “The landlord promised me new painting and electrical maintenance. I stayed three months without it.” Tenant, Gisozi • “When there is conflict, we just argue. No one has clear proof.” Landlord, Kacyiru

These repeated stories revealed larger structural issues: delays, lack of transparency, and high conflict.

Patterns & Themes Identified

From all conversations, these patterns consistently appeared:

1. Delays & Broken Promises Houses are often not fully ready on the move-in date. Repairs are postponed. Tenants feel forced to accept poor conditions because they already paid.

2. No Transparency in Payment People rely on screenshots, WhatsApp messages, or verbal confirmations. These can be lost, forged, deleted, or modified.

3. Conflicts Arising from Lack of Proof Both sides feel wronged, but no one has evidence. Paper receipts are unreliable. Mobile money screenshots can be faked or be edited.

4. High Deposits & Retention Issues Landlords often demand 2-3 months’ deposit or even 6 ins some parts of Kigali city. Tenants fear losing money when moving out on some emergency situations.

5. Tenants Leaving Without Notice Landlords said tenants sometimes disappear without paying last month’s rent or utility bills.

6. No Neutral System for Resolution Local leaders sometimes intervene, but inconsistently. Most conflicts rely on personal negotiation.

7. Timeline / Community Flow ![[Pasted image 20251213231949.png]]

Essence Summary The essence of the community experience is a renting system full of trust gaps, where both sides feel unprotected. Tenants want fairness. Landlords want accountability. Both want transparency. The environment is rich with stories that all point to one thing: a need for a neutral system that can hold rent securely and record agreements transparently.