Rental agreements leases contracts laws
Can tenant refuse entry to landlord in Cyprus.
The increase in rental prices in Cyprus keeps many people awake.
Some tenants fear that a landlord will knock on the door and double the monthly price. Some landlords want to get a little richer and call the tenant all the time.
Two years passed. The owner said they wanted to amend the new contract. Surely they will raise the price, - says one tenant in Cyprus. - I'll tell them that I'm ready for a maximum of 5%, and no more.
How much easier the tenants life would be if he/she were aware of the nuances of local rules and how to write reliable legal agreement.
It is extremely important to thoroughly study your lease agreement and immediately make the necessary amendments if something does not suit you. The rights of the tenant in Cyprus are protected sometimes even much stronger than the rights of the owners. Rented housing is as safe as your own. But if the agreement specifies some deadlines for notices or fee increases, they must be observed.
If the rights of the tenant are violated, they must certainly try to correct the situation. If a conversation with the landlord did not save the situation, you must send a letter to the local authorities. If the letter does not produce results, you should apply to the district court.
Some tenants do not want to let the landlord into the apartment, but why? Do not forget that landlords are different, there are those who keep a spare key.
It is worth remembering that any contract can be terminated.
Such a turn could have a bad effect on the rental history.
Alll tenants must understand that they have the right to a calm, happy life. No one has the right to pester them with daily calls and nightly inspections. For most people, these rules come naturally. They are not included in the contract. And if necessary, the issue is resolved by dialogue. If it doesn’t help, you can safely start taking more serious measures, up to applying to local justice. The standard contract includes a clause on how often the landlord can visit.
Also, all tenants should understand that they have an unconditional right to live in a safe house. The quality of house structures, wiring, windows and floors should be checked in advance and noted in the contract. But if in the process of life it turned out that housing is unsuitable, it is worth taking action.
Thus, several times, indeed, you can turn a blind eye to the frequent visits of the landlord. But this does not apply to issues with delayed payment or ignoring letters about the start of a lawsuit.
Types of Leases in Cyprus and the Lease Control Law
As you may know, there is a Rent Control Law in Cyprus, which was introduced in 1974. That year, due to the Turkish Cypriot conflict, it was urgent to solve the housing problem of thousands of refugees left homeless. The essence of the law is that the tenants should be protected as much as possible and, most importantly, no one could evict them from the house without a reason.
According to the law, houses, apartments, offices and shops are considered to be leased real estate. The rules do not apply to warehouses, land without premises and agricultural land.
Today in Cyprus there are two types of lease: “by contract” and “by law”.
It is extremely important to understand in time what type of lease each particular transaction belongs to, since decisions on different types of lease are made by different courts.
Lease by law
This type of lease assumes that the original contract has expired, and the tenant is still renting the property. In addition, according to the law, residential or commercial property must be located in the "controlled zones" of the country, and the building must be built no later than December 31, 1999. Moreover, only citizens of Cyprus and the European Union fall under the protection of this law.
It is extremely difficult to evict such a tenant, except in circumstances prescribed by law. To do this, the owner will have to go to court.
The main reasons for eviction can be:
The tenant does not pay rent for more than 21 days from the date of notification.
The tenant does not pay the amount due within 14 days from the date of delivery of the claim.
In court, the landlord must convince everyone that he or his dependent relatives really need this property.
The tenant or any other person living with the tenant has caused inconvenience to other people in the area.
The tenant fails to comply with the obligation not to sublease the property.
The landlord wants to demolish or rebuild the building in order to develop the area and the city.
The tenant is found guilty of using the property for illegal or immoral purposes.
In the event that the condition of the dwelling or shop, in the opinion of the court, has deteriorated as a result of the tenant's willful gross negligence.
Lease by contract
All other rentals in Cyprus are negotiable. The relationship between the parties to the transaction is determined by the agreement, which, as expected, they signed and certified in time. If the contract has not been renewed or extended, the tenant leaves the premises at the end of the lease term.
At the same time, a short-term lease of up to 6 months, regardless of what year the building is and where it is located, is negotiable. Any claims relating to a contractual lease shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the District Court.
Rent increase in Cyprus
Every two years, the Council of Ministers of Cyprus decides on the maximum percentage of rent increases. This applies to both types of lease. However, Legal Leases are protected from such risks from time to time. For example, during the pandemic, it was forbidden to raise fees until the spring of 21.
According to the relevant law, every landlord has the right to demand an increase in the amount of the rent every two years. At the same time, the increase in the amount should not exceed 14%, established by the Law, which was later reduced to 8%.
In all other cases where the property is not subject to the local low, the following applies:
If there is a lease agreement, then the increase in rent is determined in accordance with the provisions of this agreement.
If there is no contract - which also happens - then the owner has the right to demand any increase at his discretion.
Amendments to the rent control law
For decades there have been numerous discussions in Cyprus about amending this law. The issue was especially acute in relation to the eviction of tenants, which is carried out only through the Tenant Control Court.
The most vulnerable category, as it turned out, were landlords, not tenants. They were the ones who were required to file an eviction petition and wait years until the Rent Control Court ruled to evict the non-paying tenants.
In addition, the landlord had the burden of proving that the property was rightfully his and that the rent due was legally required. As a result, this provided an opportunity for tenants to object to the landlord's application, resulting in a delayed and lengthy eviction process.
Under the latest amendments, the burden of proof for full payment of rent has been shifted to tenants. Under the new law, a tenant can only submit a response to a landlord's request for ownership of real estate if they have paid all the rent due and provided proof of payment to the court clerk.
Source
Toon
I understand I have to provide a rental agreement for 12 months in order to get a yellow slip application
This has to be certified/stamped/approved etc in ways as yet I am unsure about
But does the property itself have to be one that has been registered ?
Do the people doing the renting if you say " is this ok for renting to get a yellow slip" ?
Do they fully understand the implications
I would not want to sign up for a years rent and then find a problem with/at the yellow slip office
gordon
@Gordon76
Yes if renting as it's unlikely you will have bills at that stage.
Am not sure what you mean about property registration .. In normal circumstances No it's not necessary for the property to be registered. Are you possibly considering renting an Airbnb initially and using that address? Long term rentals don't need registering at this time short term lets do though.
A notary, or the village mukhtar can sign and stamp the tenancy agreement for a small.fee ..the latter being the usual method.
An Owner is under no obligation to a answer a question regarding suitability for immigration, it's not an issue, its not a problem anyway, immigration just need an address for you. It's down to you to be sure that the property is owned by the person renting to you...
.
Toon
I would prefer to do a longish term rental with Airbnb but I thought that would not be acceptable for a yellow slip application but google AI says it is not accepted
It has to be a 12 month agreement does it not ?
Also I read that an STA or standard tenancy agreement is probably needed
So does this limit me to using a real estate company ?
cheers
gordon
Ok just checking on what you are thinking
No you are not limited.to real.estate agencies as there are other avenues to explore. Bazaraki, Facebook Marketplace, Local contacts often know of property availability.asj the bar and shop.owners. Speak to the locals, you might be pleasantly surprised...I did this recently and got a property of mine rented out to a local lady within a few days...
You will of course need a base to start with and an Airbnb is a good start rent for a couple of weeks to decide on the area you want to live. Then look in earnest for a longer term rental...
Then check the rental agreement before agreeing and signing up to it.
There is a lady I know who matches tenants to property availability who assists in tenancy agreements.. I have her details should you wish to explore that avenue..
Toon
Many thanks
We are planning a visit late next year , probably in December when we will try out the weather in the Paphos area for circa 88 to 90 days.
Early 2026 I expect to have an Irish passport , so we we will then return once more .
At present we like the idea of renting a different area each year so as to find our ideal place so to speak.
Your input/help has been much appreciated
regards
gordon
The.weather here at the moment is 22 degrees daytime and 8-9 degrees over night. Lovely during the day chillier at night with the odd bit of heavy rain .Jan to march are usually the colder wetter months, but much better than UK...so for us it's fine
Good luck
Toon
Been looking at the weather , not bad for Dec and Jan . I note there are still swimmers in the sea which speaks volumes.
I read this regarding an EMU1 application:
Residential Agreement:
House/Apartment Contract: This could be a rental or sale agreement. Rental agreements should be at least one year long, certified by a Muhtar or an authorized officer, and stamped at the tax office.
Financial Documentation:
Bank Statements: Include six-month statements from a Cyprus or foreign bank detailing income and expenses in Cyprus.
So
What happens when I come over and sign a 1 year rental agreement and then go and submit my EMU1 form for me and the EMU2 form for my civil partner --- with reference to the Financial Documentation " expenses in Cyprus" bit ?. As we won't have anything to show regarding outgoings other than the rental agreement contract.
And won't have any more for a couple of months eg electricity/council tax , water bills etc
cheers
gordon
Toon
Forgot to add that bank statements is plural
Financial Documentation:
Bank Statements: Include six-month statements from a Cyprus or foreign bank detailing income
Did I read somewhere that a person was asked to supply 3 lots of 6 month statements ie covering the last 18 months prior to applying
Is that correct ?
I intend to have a Cyprus bank account opened for the expenses in Cyprus ( outgoings )
cheers
gordon
Don't worry about it ..the rental contract is a regular thing and as long as it's signed and stamped by the village mukhtar all.is good
As for financial documents 3-6 months required from your own bank wil be sufficient as all they really want to know is that you can support yourselves..they want to see regular monthly income at the required levels...Evidence of having opened a Cyprus bank account is necessary.
Don't know or even heard about the 18 months statements requirement not heard that before except for someone relocating in a self employed basis but that would be business account statements
.
Recent weather here has been lovely the driest January on record for 120 years. Probably the warmest too . Daytime sun just now is fab.
So we await February and March historically colder and wetter.
Toon
Thanks again
Could I apply for an MEU1 and my civil partner apply for her MEU2 --- AT the SAME time ?
or will we have to wait for my MEU1 to be posted to the rental address supplied by me and then apply for her MEU2
We were thinking of doing this whilst staying in the Paphos area early next year
cheers
Gordon
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