Thinking of renting in Cyprus?

With Christmas and the New Year looming, it may be the time to reflect about what you really want from life. With the weather at its worst in the UK, why not consider renting a property in Cyprus? To help you, here are my top five tips:

1. Location
Where do you want to live? Think about this one carefully. If you don’t know Cyprus, then do plenty of research.

Do you want to be in a traditional Cypriot village; or in the mountains with spectacular views; or by the sea and beautiful beaches? Perhaps you would prefer to be within walking distance of local amenities, such as supermarkets, banks and other facilities? You may need to be near a hospital for medical reasons.

A key point is to decide whether you want to live within an ex-pat area, or with the locals.

Top Tip: If you have never lived overseas before, then pick an area where other ex-pats are because when you first arrive, you will need a support group around you. This is what I did. But once I was familiar with everything, I moved into a traditional Cypriot village with very few ex-pats.

2. Property type
What do you really want? Are you looking for a detached villa with a pool; a townhouse; a bungalow; a penthouse apartment; a traditional stone house or a luxury mansion? The list is endless; there is something for everyone and every budget in Cyprus. Think carefully about whether the property is just for you, or whether you are going to have a lot of visitors to entertain. This will help you decide how many bedrooms and bathrooms you need.

Top Tip: Remember, swimming pools are a luxury and quite expensive to run - but I wouldn’t be without mine in the summer.

3. Rent
Negotiate hard! There are an abundance of properties up for rent in Cyprus both privately and via letting agencies. Unfortunately, some landlords are very greedy and are asking extortionate prices. If a property is up for rent for 700 euros a month, then start at 450 euros. You can always increase your offer.

Top Tip: Never pay more than one month’s rent plus your holding deposit in advance.

4. Landlords
The good landlords will issue a contract you can understand. The bad landlords will shake hands with you, say you can have the property for as long as you like and then suddenly give you two weeks notice to vacate as they want the property back for their family.

Top Tip: Make sure you get a contract and have this checked by a reputable lawyer who doesn’t know the landlord.

5. Contracts
These can be anything from one month to several years. If you are renting long-term, and signing a contract, make sure you look out for the yearly rent increase clause -otherwise you could be in for a shock and find your rent goes up dramatically. Also watch out for notice periods, ideally they will be two months either side.

Top Tip: Don’t sign for more than six months initially, then you can move if you don’t like the property or the area.

Hope this helps – if you have any questions, just ask!

Jackie
The Overseas Guides Company
Have you been to the main website yet? http://Cyprusbuyingguide.com