What deposit is standard?

One to two months. More is not standard.

Can rent rise freely?

On uncontrolled stock, by agreement at renewal. On controlled stock, by the order — which has often meant a freeze.

Cyprus · EUR

Rentin Nicosia

Nicosia rents year-round to people who work there — one to two months’ deposit, statutory tenancies that continue after expiry, and rent control that still bites pre-2000 stock in controlled areas.

Limassol

Lands Office path

Title deed checked

3D map

−50%transfer-fee cut on resales, permanent

0%transfer fees where VAT was charged

Title deedseparate title or Specific Performance first

PermitCouncil of Ministers step for non-EU buyers

What a purchase really costs

€300,000 home in Nicosia

Transfer fees (Τέλη Μεταβίβασης) — ≈2.9%: €8,600
Advocate & disbursements (≈1%): €3,000
Cash needed at the Lands Office: €311,600

≈ +3.9% over the price. The statute reads 3/5/8% on the Lands Office assessed value — but resales carry a permanent 50% reduction, and new-builds that attracted VAT pay zero transfer fees. Stamp duty was abolished in January 2026. Title deeds on new builds can lag years behind handover: deposit the contract at the District Lands Office within six months for Specific Performance protection, and never pay in full without a separate title in sight.

Rentals run on rules

The rent side, in three lines

Pre-2000 buildings in controlled areas fall under rent control — increases follow the statutory order, not the market.
Deposits run one to two months; a statutory tenancy continues after expiry unless a court orders otherwise.
Short-lets need registration with the Deputy Ministry of Tourism — the licence, not the photos, decides the model.

Nicosia rents off the capital year-round; Limassol rents off the coast and the season. Do not blend them.

Cities

Two cities, one fee scale

Transfer fees are national and assessed by the District Lands Office, not the contract. Nicosia is an inland capital market; Limassol is a coastal second-home market. Same scale, different buyers.

A tenancy that expires does not end by itself: the statutory tenancy continues on the same terms unless a court orders possession. That cuts both ways — security for the tenant, patience for the landlord.

Controlled tenancies in older buildings follow the statutory increase order, not the market. Check the building’s age and controlled status before you underwrite growth.

Student demand around the universities fills small units each autumn with metronomic reliability. It is the closest thing Cyprus has to a guaranteed book.

FAQ

What deposit is standard?: One to two months. More is not standard.
Can rent rise freely?: On uncontrolled stock, by agreement at renewal. On controlled stock, by the order — which has often meant a freeze.

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