Land Consent (Leasehold) Fees / Charges, Kenya

Before transferring leasehold land in Kenya, the party transferring the leasehold interest must obtain consent from the Commissioner of Lands (now exercised through the National Land Commission (NLC) for public land and the Ministry of Lands for allocated leasehold). Leasehold tenure is a right to hold land for a specific period — with non-citizens limited to a maximum 99-year lease — subject to payment of annual land rent to the national government and land rates to the county government.

Leasehold Land Consent Fee Summary Table

Fee Type	Amount (KES)	Notes
Consent to transfer (Commissioner of Lands / NLC)	1,000	Standard fee for leasehold consent
Land search fee	500	At Ministry of Lands or eCitizen portal
Land rent clearance certificate	Free (on clearance of arrears)	Must be obtained before transfer
Land rates clearance certificate (Nairobi County)	10,000	Varies by county
Title deed registration fee	500	At Land Registry
Title deed issuance fee	5,000	New title fee
Stamp duty (leasehold within municipality/city)	4% of property value	Paid to KRA via iTax
Stamp duty (leasehold outside municipality)	2% of property value	Lower rate for rural leaseholds

Land rent arrears must be cleared and a Land Rent Clearance Certificate obtained before transfer proceeds. Leasehold land rent is an annual obligation to the Ministry of Lands.

Key Notes

Foreign nationals may only hold leasehold land in Kenya, and no leasehold granted to a non-citizen may exceed 99 years. Before stamp duty is calculated, the property must be valued by a government-appointed valuer to determine accurate market value. The stamp duty is then paid through the KRA iTax system before documents can be franked and submitted for registration.

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