Zoe Achieng, a 25-year-old Nairobi-based content creator, suddenly finds herself homeless after a gas explosion leaves her apartment in ruins (along with her dreams of being a Pinterest queen). With nowhere else to go, she moves in with her estranged, drama-loving aunt Pauline, a retired actress who still thinks she’s starring in her own soap opera.

Zoe quickly realizes the real challenge isn't just rebuilding her life—it’s surviving her aunt's outrageous routines, her neighbor's pet goat (who thinks he's a dog), and dodging the well-meaning setups from her aunt who is determined to get her married off to "any man with a job and a neck."

Meanwhile, Zoe is hiding a secret: she was on the verge of launching a major brand collaboration—until the explosion literally blew it up. As she tries to fake perfection online, the chaos in her real life becomes harder to hide.

Through the madness, unexpected friendships, and hilarious confrontations with Pauline’s chaotic church group, Zoe learns that perfection is overrated, and sometimes being knocked off your high horse is the best thing that can happen to you.

First of all—thank you for joining Zoe, Aunt Pauline, and a slightly judgmental parrot on this rollercoaster of ridiculousness we call Rent-Free Problems. I hope you've laughed (loudly), side-eyed (respectfully), and maybe even recognized a little bit of your own family in the madness.


This story is my love letter to everyday chaos—the kind that sneaks into your house when your apartment explodes (literally), or when your aunt decides gardening is a full-time personality. It's messy, it's dramatic, it's relatable—and most importantly, it's here to remind us that sometimes, the best stories come from the weirdest roommates and the most unexpected situations.


Thank you for reading, laughing, and staying rent-free with us. There's so much more to come—tea, drama, and probably more random parrots.


Chapter 8 - A message to my dearies