Renting in Kampala as an Expat or Returnee

Where do expats and returnees live in Kampala?

Four areas come up most often in guides written for foreigners: Kololo, Nakasero, Bugolobi and Muyenga. Three of them have neighbourhood pages on the guide site we opened, and they are described like this. The same site's housing page also names Nakasero but gives rents only for one-bedroom flats, so it is left out of the table.

Treat the rents as an estimate only. They come from a guide site that gives no sources for the rent figures and says only that its data was verified on 20 October 2026. The Land & Property listings snapshot of 3 November 2026 holds properties for sale, not rents, so we cannot offer our own rent series. Before you commit, compare at least three real listings in the same estate at homes to rent now, and read Apartments for Rent in Kololo, Kampala for one area in detail.

The areas differ by trade-off, not only price. Muyenga is described as steep, so a car or boda-boda is needed. Whichever area you pick, test the drive to your work or school at 8 am and 5 pm before you sign.

What lease terms and deposits should I expect?

The Landlord and Tenant Act, 2022 applies to residential premises and sets the limits that matter most to a newcomer. Section numbers below are from the Act as gazetted on 17 June 2022.

Guides for foreigners report that landlords often ask for two to three months of rent up front, and some ask for six months on unfurnished flats. The Act allows a landlord to ask for more only if you agree. You are free to refuse, and then to look elsewhere. Read Tenancy Agreement in Uganda before signing. The same guide says leases of a year or more are usual and that six-month leases cost more. A shorter stay or a furnished apartment may be better served by a serviced flat or a short-stay booking, which is a different kind of contract described in Short-Let and Airbnb Rules and Tax in Uganda.

Will the landlord ask for rent in US dollars?

Many do. Guides for foreigners say rent is often quoted in US dollars but paid in shillings at the day's rate. The law is firmer than the practice: section 22(2) of the Act says that unless the parties otherwise agree in their tenancy agreement, all rent obligations and transactions are expressed or settled in Uganda shillings. The Office of the Prime Minister recorded the same rule when it met Kampala landlords and tenants in February 2026. So a dollar rent is lawful only if you agree to it in the agreement.

If you do agree to dollars, write down in the agreement which exchange rate and which date apply, and who bears the cost when the shilling moves. Ask for a receipt that shows the amount and the period paid, which section 25 requires, and keep the mobile-money or bank record that matches it. If you are on a shilling income, ask for a shilling rent from the start.

What documents will I be asked for, and what do I get?

Section 3(5) of the Act says a landlord must not enter a tenancy with an individual who has not shown a national identification card, an alien's identification card or another identification document, and the list in section 3(6) includes a passport and a driving permit. Where the agreement is oral, section 3(3)(c) requires the landlord's record to include a non-citizen's immigration status. The prescribed tenancy form in Schedule 2 also has lines for the tenant's immigration status and resident work permit number. So expect to show a passport, your visa or permit, and sometimes your employer's letter. Returnees with a Ugandan National ID can use it.

In return, you should receive a signed copy of the agreement straight after signing (section 5), a written receipt for the advance rent and for the deposit (sections 25 and 30), and a clear statement in writing of when any part of the deposit may be kept. Keep these together; see Rent Receipts and Records: What Tenants Should Keep. A landlord may not refuse you because of your race, tribe, colour, ethnic origin or social standing (section 20).

Who pays for power, water and the service fee?

Sections 12 and 13 of the Act split the bills. A tenant pays for electricity, gas and oil that are separately metered, and for water if it is separately metered and billed by use. A landlord pays the cost of the first connection, and pays for power and water where the premises are not separately metered, unless you agree otherwise in writing signed by both sides. A landlord may also charge a service fee for extra services such as security, conservancy and sanitation (section 46). Ask what the rent already covers. A fuller explanation is at Service Fees Under the 2022 Act: What Landlords Can Charge.

A guide for foreigners warns that power cuts are frequent, that water supply can be intermittent, and that a water tank and a generator are worth asking about. It also says prepaid meters are common. Ask to see a recent bill, ask who owns the tank and the generator, and ask who pays when it breaks. Repairs of the structure and the shared areas are the landlord's duty under section 7, covered in Who Pays for Repairs in a Rental in Uganda?.

How safe is it, and what security should I ask about?

The guide for foreigners says that the expat areas usually have gated compounds, guards and cameras, and that petty crime occurs in crowded places and after dark in poorly lit streets. We cannot verify those descriptions for any one compound, so check yourself. Visit at night, and ask the guard company's name. Ask whether the gate is staffed all night and who holds the keys. Check the lock quality, the fence and the lighting, and ask neighbours about thefts.

Use the house viewing checklist on every visit, and never pay a deposit before you have seen the property and checked who owns it. Fake listings and fee scams target newcomers; see How to Avoid Rental Scams in Kampala. If you plan to earn from your place later, note that a tenant must have the landlord's written consent to sublet (Subletting a Rental in Uganda). If you later let the place out, the tax rules are in Tax on Rental Income in Uganda. For the full picture of the market, go back to Houses and Apartments for Rent in Uganda.

Listings available now

Live from Land & Property on 4 November 2026. Prices are the sellers' asking prices.

• 25 Decimals in Bunga at Ugx820m Buziga, Kampala · Plot UGX 820,000,000
• 470 acres in Kikyusa Kamira at Ugx10m per acre Kamira, Luwero · Farmland UGX 10,000,000 per acre
• 1 acre for sale in Kololo at $2,500,000 Kololo, Kampala · Plot UGX 9,250,000,000
• 150 acres in Kalongo Nakasongola at Ugx5.8m per acre Kalongo, Nakasongola · Farmland UGX 5,800,000 per acre
• 120 acres in Kisozi Nakaseke at Ugx6.5m per acre Nakaseke · Farmland UGX 6,500,000 per acre
• 300 acres Migyeera Nakasongola on tarmac at Ugx12m per acre Migyera, Nakasongola · Farmland UGX 12,000,000 per acre

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Houses and Apartments for Rent in Uganda
• Rental Viewing Checklist for Tenants
• Tenancy Agreement in Uganda: Clause-by-Clause
• How to Avoid Rental Scams in Kampala
• Apartments for Rent in Kololo, Kampala
• Tax on Rental Income in Uganda