Table of Contents
Protecting Your Deposit
Less formalized than Germany: no legal handover protocol, no standard process, deposit return often disputed. Solution: document everything yourself. 30 minutes of photos can save €1,000-2,000.
Move-In Protocol
Photos of EVERYTHING: every room, wall, floor, appliance. Close-ups of damage. Video walkthrough. Send to landlord same day via WhatsApp (date-stamped). Checklist: AC, boiler, windows, shutters, toilets, taps, sockets. List defects in writing.
This was exactly our experience: 30 minutes of photos can save €1,000-2,000. Move-In Protocol Photos of EVERYTHING: every room, wall, floor, appliance. Close-ups of damage. Video walkthrough. Send to landlord same day via WhatsApp...
– Tenant from Leipzig, in Nicosia since 2024
Move-Out: Getting Deposit Back
Clean professionally (€80-150, worth it). Joint walkthrough comparing move-in photos. Deposit return: check contract (30-60 days). If withheld: written reason required. Lawyer if unlawful (€200-300). From July 2026: deposit must be in bank account.
Apartment Handover in Cyprus
Topics: Protecting Your Deposit, Move-In Protocol, Move-Out: Getting Deposit Back
CMC Practical Tip
30 minutes of photos can save €1,000-2,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not legally required but essential. Without: risk entire deposit. 30 min photos = best protection.
Professional clean (€80-150). Joint walkthrough with photos. Written demand if withheld. Lawyer if needed (€200-300).
Written demand with deadline. If no response: lawyer (€200-300). Prevention: photos at move-in!
Deposit must go to bank account (not landlord's pocket). More tenant protection.
How CMC Supports You
At CMC Certus Management Consultants, we are here for you – not only for tax and legal questions, but also for all practical topics of everyday life in Cyprus. Our team in Larnaca and Pafos knows the local conditions first-hand.
As your local contact, we handle: company formation and management, tax advisory and Non-Dom applications, ongoing bookkeeping and tax returns, support with authorities, and referrals to estate agents, lawyers, doctors and tradespeople.