How to Find an Apartment in Cyprus 🏠

We want to give you essential information about renting apartments, houses, and villas in Cyprus. This information will undoubtedly help you if you are dealing with the topic of emigrating to Cyprus and living abroad, as many things work differently in Cyprus then you are used to in other European countries.

Appoint an estate agent in Cyprus - Or would you prefer to search without an estate agent?

When looking for a new apartment, we are always anxious to get by without an estate agent because of the high brokerage fees.  In Cyprus, this effort is not necessary. But why?
Well - If you rent an apartment, house or villa in Cyprus for 12 months or longer, you will not pay any brokerage fees. The brokerage fees are funded entirely by the landlord. From this point of view, it would be incomprehensible if you were to go on an endless search for an apartment yourself.

Luckily, we are here to support your settlement.

We have a list of recommended estate agents in Cyprus who really take care of everything and far exceeded needs and requirements of their clients. This vast experience resulted in a cooperation to offer an appropriate service and support for your settlement on this beautiful island.

When is the right time to view the apartment?

The owners of properties in Cyprus are generally unwilling to reserve a property for long-term rental for several months before the start of the rental period. They understandably expect to be able to rent their property to another interested party by that time. An apartment inspection only makes sense if your planned start of rent is no more than four weeks.

After finalizing the rentals agreement, you should immediately set up your Internet Connection, such that it will be available on the day of your arrival. For your  water and electricity contracts, you can sign them one week before or on your arrival in Cyprus.

Furnished and unfurnished properties in Cyprus

The standard of the apartments and houses in Cyprus is relatively high, but there is no generalized standard. When moving into our first apartment, it was fully furnished (kitchen, beds, TVs, towels, dishes, etc.). However, if something is missing, you can get it at Ikea in Nicosia. The extend of furnished apartments simply depends on the respective landlord (No worries we will help you get settled).

Condition of the property at the inspection

For a Cypriot, it simply does not make sense to permanently clean an apartment, a garden, or a pool if the property is not rented. The landlord arranges these things when he finds a tenant.

On the one hand, when viewing an apartment, assume that not everything is perfectly clean and you should look at the objects from a slightly different perspective than you might be used to.

On the other hand, you better make sure that the essential devices as the A/C, TVs, kitchen devices are properly working. Check the shower's water pressure and if all keys are available and fit into the supposed lock. If your apartment is your home office, check the neighbors and surroundings for noise or unpleasant guests. Do not let luck determine your well-being in your residence.

Costs

The cost of housing and infrastructure in Cyprus (as of 2021)
The furnished rental prices of a 1 - 2 room apartment range between € 400 - € 650 depending on the equipment and location. You might also get a discount (approx. 10%) if you are willing to pay the year's rent upfront.

A house or villa with a private pool is available from € 1000 per month. However, for such objects, you should instead expect a cold rent (utilities excluded) of between € 1250 - € 2000, per month. Of course, there are no limits to the price.

The approximate monthly additional costs for a 1 - 2 room apartment in Cyprus:

About the rent deposit: A deposit of one month's rent is usual. For extremely high-priced villas, the owners also sometimes require a deposit of up to 3 months.

Subletting

In Cyprus, subletting is generally excluded in the rental contracts of long-term rental properties (check your contract). Of course, this would also entail insurance risks. We generally advise you against subletting.
Nevertheless, it is possible to handover the rental object to friends, acquaintances, or family members.

Sharing your accommodation with other digital nomads

A common way to save your apartment's yearly rent is to share it with other digital nomads in Cyprus. To do that, we recommend splitting the apartment with no more than three persons, since everyone should sign a utility bill in his name as a proof of address.  Proof of address is necessary for e.g., open a bank account.

Conclusion

In Cyprus, you should hire an estate agent to look for accommodation since you do not have to pay any brokerage fees. And no worries - We are happy to recommend a reliable agent to you. The process to check for a suitable apartment should be four weeks upon your arrival to Cyprus, not earlier. Apartments are generally well furnished. However, if that is not the case, you can find essentials at Ikea in Nicosia or at 2nd hand furniture dealers. Subletting to private guests or Airbnb is often prohibited by the rental agreement and should not be violated. As our Cyprus Limited Community keeps growing, we are happy to get you settled and connected with other digital nomads for potentially shared accommodations. To get a first overview of listings, feel free to check out the online marketplace at www.bazaraki.com.

List of questions

If you would like us to assist you in your search for accommodation, we will need to know your exact requirements for your dream home in Cyprus.

Here is a list of questions that we ask you to answer when we look for a property in Cyprus for you:

• Which city or district do you prefer?
• What type of property (apartment, townhouse, house, or villa with a private pool) are you looking for?
• Furnished or unfurnished (also unfurnished properties usually include a fitted kitchen and built-in cupboards in the bedrooms)?
• The minimum number of bedrooms (plus living room, kitchen, bathrooms)?
• The number of persons who will live in the rental property?
• Do you expect a pool?
• Will you be "mobile" in Cyprus (car)?
• Do you have pets? If so, which ones and how many?
• Do you have children who will live in the property?
• When is your desired start date?
• How long should the rental period be (the standard rental period in Cyprus is 12 months)?
• Do you have any other special requirements?
• What is the maximum monthly rent (basic rent)?

David