List Your Short Stay in Kampala, Entebbe, Jinja or Nairobi

Who can list a short stay on Land & Property?

Two kinds of people can list: the owner of the unit, and an agent or property manager who has the owner's consent. The unit must be furnished and ready for a guest to walk into with a bag, which means beds with linen, a working kitchen or kitchenette, water and power, and a lock that works.

If you rent the unit yourself, you need your landlord's written permission before you list. Condominium owners should also read their by-laws, because a condominium corporation can set rules for the common property. Our guide to Hosting Rules and Licensing in Uganda: Step by Step sets out the checks in order. If you manage many units for owners, read the Landlord Guide for Uganda: Law, Tax and Rent Collection as well, because the long-let duties still apply to any unit you do not put on short stays.

What do I need before I start?

Gather these first, so your listing is not stuck in review:

• Your identity: a National ID or passport, plus a live selfie and a short video of you on the property.
• Proof of the property: a title, a lease with permission to sublet, or a utility bill in the name of the owner or manager.
• A licence number: your Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) licence number in Uganda, or tourism regulator registration in Kenya. New hosts get 30 days to register before the listing is paused, so you can start the paperwork and the listing together.
• Photos: clear, dated photos of every room, which we match to the location. You refresh them every 12 months.
• A payout account: a mobile money or bank account in your own verified name.

Photos matter more than most hosts expect. Knight Frank's 2026 Kampala report says most international guests book on how the listing looks, and it advises hiring a professional photographer and refreshing images every 12 to 18 months.

How do I list my apartment for short stays, step by step?

1. Sign up as a host through the sign-up page.
2. Add the property. Search for the place, then drag a pin onto the exact gate on the satellite map, or use your current location when you are on site. Add private arrival notes: landmarks, a gate photo, gate code or key instructions, parking and a short note you can forward to a boda or taxi driver.
3. Upload photos of each room and list the amenities, including any backup power, water storage and internet.
4. Set your nightly price. Before you publish, the screen shows "You earn UGX X" after our commission. Work the figure out first with How to Price a Short Stay in Kampala.
5. Choose a cancellation policy from Flexible, Moderate or Firm. The one in force when a guest books stays with that booking.
6. Enter your licence number and, if you also list on Airbnb or Booking.com, paste in your calendar links so a night booked elsewhere disappears here.
7. Submit for verification. Staff check you and the property, including the pin, before it goes live.

Do guests pay me directly?

No. The guest pays Land & Property, through Pesapal or Flutterwave, and we pay you afterwards. This is deliberate: it protects the guest, it protects your payout, and it keeps the booking record that you will need for tax. Guests see one total for their dates, covering the nights, cleaning fee, any extra guests, the payment processing fee and any government levy.

Our commission is set for each host when you register, is shown to you before you publish, and is saved on every booking so it cannot change after a guest has booked. The detail, with payout timing and pauses, sits on Host Payouts and Commission on Land & Property. Because the money must pass through us, hosts may not ask a guest to pay by cash or send money to a personal mobile money number. Chat blocks phone numbers and links until the booking is paid, and then both sides can see each other's contact details.

What makes a listing accepted?

We accept a listing when the host and the place check out, not when the description sounds good. In practice that means a verified identity, a property document, a licence number or proof that you have applied, photos that match the location, and a pin that sits on the real gate. Until a listing has reviews it shows "New listing, verified by Land & Property", so guests know a person at our office has looked at it.

We reject or pause listings that hide cameras inside the home, ask for payment outside the site, or promise facilities that are missing. A cleaning fee is capped at 25% of the nightly subtotal for stays under 7 nights and at one night's price for longer stays, so a high cleaning fee cannot be used to disguise the price. Safety basics and house rules are on Short-Stay House Rules and Guest Safety in Uganda, and the between-guest routine is on Cleaning and Turnover for a Short-Stay Home.

Which cities can I host in?

Hosting works today in Kampala, Entebbe and Jinja in Uganda, and in Nairobi in Kenya. Ugandan listings are priced in UGX and Nairobi listings in Kenya shillings, and the price is locked in the guest's currency when they book. Rules differ by country: Uganda's are on the licensing page, and Kenya's are on Hosting a Short Stay in Nairobi: Licence and Tax.

If you are weighing whether to furnish a unit for this, Furnished Apartment Investment Yields in Kampala gives a worked cost and income example. For the guest side of the market, including which Kampala estates attract which visitors, read Airbnb in Kampala: Areas, Hosting Rules and Tax and the short-stay hub. Property for long lets can be listed too, through List Your Property for Rent: What to Include.

What will I still owe the authorities?

Listing with us does not replace your own duties. Short-stay income is taxable, and Uganda Revenue Authority guidance says landlords register with URA for taxes, so register before your first payout. Our payout records are designed to serve as your income record. Licensing and tax are explained, with the sources, on Hosting Rules and Licensing in Uganda: Step by Step and Tax on Rental Income in Uganda. We do not give tax or legal advice, so confirm anything specific to your unit with the Uganda Tourism Board, URA or an adviser.

In this section

• Cleaning and Turnover for a Short-Stay HomeRun cleaning and same-day turnover for a short stay: checklists, linen and laundry, supplies, spare keys, power and water, and cleaner costs.
• Furnished Apartment Investment Yields in KampalaWork out the yield on a furnished apartment let by the night in Kampala: purchase and fit-out costs, occupancy, commission, tax and a worked example.
• Host Payouts and Commission on Land & PropertyHow hosts are paid: the guest pays Land & Property, we keep a commission and pay you after the stay. Timing, methods, fees and statements.
• Hosting Rules and Licensing in Uganda: Step by StepRegistering a short stay in Uganda: Uganda Tourism Board accommodation licence, KCCA and local authority checks, and URA tax on your income. Step by step.
• How to Price a Short Stay in KampalaSet a nightly rate for a Kampala short stay: costs to cover, area and season, minimum nights, and how platform commission affects your price.
• Short-Stay House Rules and Guest Safety in UgandaHouse rules for a Ugandan short stay: noise, visitors, security, fire safety, ID at check-in and guest data. Plus what to tell neighbours.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Short Stays in Uganda and Nairobi
• Host Payouts and Commission on Land & Property
• Hosting Rules and Licensing in Uganda: Step by Step
• How to Price a Short Stay in Kampala
• Airbnb in Kampala: Areas, Hosting Rules and Tax
• Hosting a Short Stay in Nairobi: Licence and Tax