Season-by-season occupancy from Watamu to Diani, what nightly rates actually hold, and which property types fill outside the December peak.
A holiday let on the Kenyan coast can earn well in the peak months and sit empty for long stretches outside them. Whether a property works as a let depends less on how it looks than on how it fills across the whole year.
The shape of the year
Demand is strongest over the December to March season and around school holidays, and much thinner in the long rains. A property's annual return is set by how it performs in the quiet months, not the busy ones.
What tends to fill outside the peak
- Walking distance to the beach and to town. Guests without a car book places they can walk from.
- Sizes that suit families and small groups. Two to four bedrooms usually let more evenly than very large villas.
- Reliable basics. Power backup, water storage and fast internet are what longer-stay and remote-working guests filter on.
- Strong photographs and honest descriptions. Reviews punish surprises.
Reading a yield claim
Ask for occupancy and net yield, not gross nightly rates. Net yield is what remains after cleaning, management, maintenance, utilities, platform fees and any service charge. A projection that quotes peak rates across twelve months is not a projection.
What we report
For properties we manage, owners get occupancy and net yield monthly, and an honest view of the low season before they buy, including when we think a property is unlikely to fill outside the peak.
Current figures
Occupancy and achievable rates differ between Watamu, Malindi, Kilifi and Diani, and move year to year. Ask an advisor for recent figures on comparable properties in the area you are considering.
Questions about a specific property?
An advisor will answer for the plot or house you are looking at, not in general.
Talk to an advisor
