Help and contact

Reach us

What to tell us when something goes wrong

The more of this you send, the faster we can see what happened:

• the phone number on your account;
• the property and the house, as they appear in the app;
• what you were doing, and what you expected to happen;
• the M-Pesa reference code, the amount and the time, for anything about a payment;
• the receipt number, if you have one;
• the link to the listing, for anything about a house you found here;
• a screenshot of the screen or the message.

Never send us your M-Pesa PIN or your password. We will never ask for either.

Questions people ask

How does my rent reach the landlord?

It goes straight into the landlord's own Paybill, Till or bank account. Rent Shopika never holds your rent, has no wallet, and takes no commission from it. The M-Pesa prompt on your screen is signed by Shopika's Safaricom account, but the money lands in the landlord's account, and your tenant page then records what was paid.

Why does my payment say "Waiting for confirmation"?

A payment is confirmed when Safaricom confirms it, or when your landlord checks it and signs it off. Until then it sits as "Waiting for confirmation" so nobody counts money that has not arrived. If you paid from your own M-Pesa menu instead of the prompt, paste the M-Pesa message on your pay page and your landlord will confirm it.

I paid but the app does not show it. What do I do?

Open your pay page and use "Already paid? Tell your landlord". Paste the M-Pesa message, or type the reference code, the amount and the day you paid. That goes to your landlord as a claim for them to confirm. Keep the original M-Pesa message until the receipt appears.

My landlord is not on Rent Shopika. Can I still use it?

Not on your own, because a tenancy has to be created by whoever manages the property. Tell your landlord or caretaker about it, and ask them to add the property and invite you. A manager who looks after a property for a landlord with no account can do it too.

How do I record a Kenya Power token?

Open your tokens page. If you bought through Rent Shopika, the payment went to Kenya Power's Paybill 888880 for your own meter and the token is saved when Kenya Power sends it. If you bought anywhere else, paste Kenya Power's message and the token, the units and the date are recorded against your meter. Your tokens are yours; the property's managers do not see them.

How do I get a receipt?

A receipt is issued when a payment is confirmed. You will find it on your receipts page, with the reference, what it paid for and a PDF you can download or send. The property's managers see the same receipt.

What does "Notice given" mean?

It means the tenant has told the landlord the day they expect to move out, and the house shows "Notice given" until the keys are handed over. It is not the same as an empty house, and a house on notice does not appear in house search.

What happens to my house when rent is late?

The unpaid amount shows as arrears on your statement and on your landlord's, and that is all the platform does about it. Late rent never makes a house vacant, and it never puts your house into house search. Anything else, such as a reminder or a penalty, is between you and your landlord under your agreement.

Who can see my balance?

You, and the people who manage your property. Another tenant never sees it, and the public never sees it: a tenant's name, phone, rent and arrears are never shown publicly. Shopika staff look only to help with a support question, and every look at a hidden value is written to the audit log.

How do I know a listing is real?

Look for "Property verified", which means Shopika has read the property's documents, and for the "Vacancy confirmed" date and time. A listing drops out of search on its own if the vacancy was not confirmed in the last 7 days. Read how verification works before you go to a viewing.

Does Rent Shopika cost anything?

Tenants never pay Rent Shopika anything. Landlords and managers are free during the pilot, and when charging begins it will be KES 50 per occupied house per month, with at least 30 days' notice by email and in the app. M-Pesa transaction costs are Safaricom's and apply to whoever pays.

How do I get my data, or have it deleted?

Email support@shopika.com and say what you want: a copy of your data, a correction, deletion, or to object to how it is used. Shopika Enterprise Ltd handles the request as the data controller. Money records stay, because both sides may need to prove what was paid.