Monthly car hire in Nairobi

Who hires a car for a month

• Kenyans home from abroad for the summer or the long December break, with visits in town and upcountry.
• Expatriates starting a new job in Nairobi, waiting for their own car to arrive or be bought.
• NGO and UN staff on a mission of a few weeks to a few months.
• Consultants and researchers on a long assignment.
• Families whose own car is in the garage for a while.

What a month costs

The table above shows each car's daily rate and the all-in total for 30 days: the rental, delivery and collection in Nairobi, the cleaning and service fee once, and VAT. Fuel is extra. Hiring for 30 days or more? The car day rate drops by 20% to 25%, depending on the car (15% on vans, pickups, buses and the Alphard). The discount is on the car day rate only, not the chauffeur, delivery or fees, and the 30-day totals in the table already include it.

The most popular long-term cars are the economical ones: the Toyota Axio and Corolla Fielder for errands and site visits, the Toyota Harrier and Mazda CX-5 for a smart daily car, and the Mazda CX-8 or Toyota Prado for a family.

How long you can hire

The minimum hire is 3 days and one booking can run for up to three months. Need longer? Ask us before the three months are up and we will arrange a new booking. Want to stay a little longer than planned? Ask for an extension on your booking page before your return time.

Looking after the car for a month

• Servicing: every car is serviced before your hire. If a warning light comes on during a long hire, tell us and we arrange a check with you.
• Problems: call our 24/7 line. If the car breaks down, we arrange a replacement car.
• Fuel: return the car with the same fuel level you got it with.
• Fines and tolls are passed on at cost, with no admin fee.

Swapping cars

Your plans may change over a month: a family visit that needs seven seats one weekend, a trip upcountry the next. Tell us, and we will see what we can arrange for those dates as a separate booking.

Deposit

You see the exact security deposit for your car in your quote before you book, and again on your booking page. It is fully refundable and due with your remaining balance by handover. It is not an extra charge: it is returned when the car is returned. Your security deposit is refunded immediately after the return handover inspection. It comes back the same way you paid it: by M-Pesa to the number it came from, to the bank account you paid from, back to your card, or in cash. We check the car together and film it, just as we did at handover, and you get a written return receipt. If nothing is owed, you get it all back.

Only these can be taken off:

• fuel below the level you received, at the pump price
• traffic and speed camera fines, parking and tolls, at cost
• a late return, after the 1-hour grace period
• new damage shown on the handover and return videos, up to your Excess Fee for Damage

Anything taken off is on a written list, with the video or a receipt to show it, and there are no admin or processing fees.

Our guide to the security deposit explains how it is worked out on a long hire.

How it works at Urban Escape

• Delivered anywhere in Nairobi and JKIA: JKIA arrivals, your hotel or your home. Delivery and collection cost KES 1,000 ($8 USD / £6 GBP / €7 EUR) each way anywhere in Nairobi.
• Flight tracking: add your flight number and your driver works to the real landing time. The evening before you land, we send your driver's name and number on WhatsApp.
• A video walk-round: we film the car with you at handover and again at return, and you leave with a written return receipt.
• 2019 or newer cars: every car is a 2019 model or newer, serviced and cleaned before each hire. In most cases you will know the exact car assigned to you in advance: your booking page shows it, with its licence plate and photos.
• A replacement car if the car has a manufacturer (mechanical) issue.
• 24/7 support: one call or WhatsApp message reaches a person, day or night.

The rules that matter

• Drivers must be 25 or over and have held a full licence for at least 2 years. We can sometimes waive the 2-year rule; ask before you book.
• The minimum hire is 3 days.
• Mileage is unlimited on every car.
• Paved roads only. Game drives only in our Land Cruiser Safari.
• No border crossing: our cars stay in Kenya.

These are the headline rules. The rental agreement you sign for each booking is the one that counts, so check it before you drive. Our rental terms in plain words explain every clause.

Paying today

No credit card is required for checkout. You pay a refundable 30% reservation deposit within 2 hours of booking (card payment link or M-Pesa), and the balance when you see the car, by M-Pesa, bank transfer, credit card or cash. Cancellation is free until the car is handed over. Paying from abroad? Our guide to paying for car hire from abroad explains each option.