Rent receipts in Kenya: what to include and how to send them
Updated 21 October 2026
Short answer
A rent receipt should show a unique receipt number, the date, the tenant and unit, the amount, how it was paid (with the M-Pesa or bank reference), what it paid for, and the balance left. Send one for every payment, cash included. It protects both landlord and tenant when there is a disagreement later.
What to put on a rent receipt
- A unique, sequential receipt number (RCT-000123).
- The date the money was received.
- Tenant's name, property and unit.
- Amount received, and the payment method with its reference (M-Pesa code, bank reference, or "cash").
- What it paid: which month's rent, deposit, water or other charges.
- The balance still owed, or credit carried forward.
- The landlord's or agent's name and contact.
Why every payment needs one
Receipts settle "I already paid" disputes in seconds, support your rental income tax records, and give tenants proof they need for things like loan or visa applications. A receipt for a cash payment matters most, because there is no M-Pesa message to fall back on.
Sending receipts automatically
Rent software can issue the receipt the moment a payment is recorded and send it by SMS, with a PDF by email. In RumiaRent every recorded payment, whether M-Pesa, bank or cash, gets a numbered receipt sent to the tenant, and the tenant can download it again from their account.
Let RumiaRent do this for you
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