Rental Scams in Cyprus: How to Spot Fake Listings and Pay a Deposit Safely (2026)

The safest rule for renting in Cyprus is simple: view first, check who you are dealing with, sign a contract, and only then pay, by bank transfer to the person named in that contract. Almost every rental scam reported in Cyprus breaks one of those steps, usually by asking for money before you have been inside the property.

Rents are high and good flats go fast, especially in Limassol, so scammers rely on urgency. Here is how the common tricks work, the checks that take ten minutes, and what to do if something has already gone wrong.

How common are rental scams in Cyprus?

Cases appear in the news every year, in every district. A few that police have warned about:

Unlicensed agents are a separate problem. In May 2025 the Cyprus Real Estate Agents Registration Council said that 125 people and companies were convicted of illegal estate agency work in 2024 and that around 400 criminal cases were filed that year.

What are the most common rental scams?

What are the warning signs of a fake listing?

• The rent is far below similar homes in the same area.
• You are asked for money before a viewing, or before you have seen any proof of ownership.
• The advertiser cannot meet you, or offers only a video or outside viewing.
• You are pushed to decide today because "other people are interested".
• The name on the advert, the contract and the bank account do not match.
• Answers about utilities, communal fees or the move-in date are vague or keep changing.
• The advertiser asks for an upfront "contract fee" or "stamping fee". Stamp duty was abolished for documents signed from 1 January 2026, so a new lease no longer needs stamping.

How do you check that a listing is real?

1. Search the photos and contact details

Run the photos through a reverse image search and search the phone number, email address and a sentence of the advert text. If the same flat appears elsewhere under another name, at another price or as a holiday let, stop.

2. View the inside in person

Go yourself, or send someone you trust if you are still abroad. Check the address matches the advert, that the keys work, and that the person showing you round can open the flat, not just the building entrance.

3. Check who owns the property

Ask the landlord to show you the title deed or a recent document from the Land Registry of the Department of Lands and Surveys (DLS) in their name, together with their passport or ID card. Bazaraki's guide adds that an ID photo alone is not enough. If someone else is letting the flat for the owner, ask for written authorisation signed by the owner. For a long or expensive tenancy, a lawyer registered with the Cyprus Bar Association can carry out a Land Registry search to confirm the registered owner. Our guide to title deeds in Cyprus explains what a search shows.

4. Check the agent is licensed

Anyone working as an estate agent in Cyprus must be entered in the Register of Real Estate Agents and hold an annual licence and professional ID card issued by the Cyprus Real Estate Agents Registration Council. Licences expire on 31 December each year.

• Search the register of agents on the council's website.
• Ask to see the agent's current licence or ID card, and check the name and number against the register.
• If in doubt, call the council on 22666377.

The council also publishes the names of people and companies convicted of illegal estate agency work. Note that CySEC, the financial markets regulator, does not license estate agents, so a "CySEC number" proves nothing about a letting agent. You can browse property professionals in our directory, but still run these checks yourself.

How do you pay a rental deposit safely in Cyprus?

There is no legal cap on deposits for free-market tenancies; one or two months' rent is common. Our guide to renting in Cyprus covers deposit terms and tenant rights in detail. To keep the payment itself safe:

1. Follow the order: check the advertiser, view the property, read the contract, then pay.
2. Sign a written contract first. It should name the landlord and tenant with ID numbers, give the property address, rent, deposit, term, notice period and how the deposit will be returned.
3. Pay by bank transfer to the person named in the contract. Since 1 July 2026, rent in Cyprus must be paid electronically, and landlords may not accept cash. Put the property address and "deposit" or the month of rent in the payment reference.
4. Get a signed receipt for the deposit and keep copies of the contract, receipts and all messages.
5. Record the condition of the property with dated photos or video at handover, with meter readings.

If you do not yet have a Cyprus bank account, our guide to banks in Cyprus for expats explains how to open one.

Are fake rental contracts a problem?

Yes, in a different way. In May 2026 police in Famagusta district announced the arrest of nine people suspected of producing rental agreements with forged stamps, which were then used in applications to register as students with the immigration authorities. A contract you will use for residence or university registration should be a genuine agreement signed by the real owner or a licensed agent, never a document bought from a third party.

What should you do if you have been scammed?

1. Call your bank immediately

Ask your bank to try to stop or recall the transfer and tell it the receiving account was used for fraud. Speed matters: the money is often moved on quickly. If you paid by card, ask about a chargeback.

2. Report it to the police

File a complaint at your nearest police station (call 112 in an emergency). Bring screenshots of the advert, the profile or phone number, every message, the contract if there is one and proof of payment. Complaints about online rental adverts can be passed to the police unit that deals with electronic crime, as happened in the 2022 Limassol case. Ask for the complaint reference number for your bank.

Be wary of anyone who then contacts you offering to recover your money: in April 2026 Cyprus police warned about a fake "police announcement" circulating on Instagram and Facebook that urged people to click a link and hand over personal or financial details.

3. Report the advert

Report the listing and the profile to the website or social network where you found it, so it is removed before others pay.

4. Complain about an agent or business

If a registered agent behaved improperly, complain to the Real Estate Agents Registration Council, which also pursues people working illegally as agents. For unfair or misleading practices by a business, the Consumer Protection Service handles consumer complaints. If you dealt with a company based in another EU country, for example a holiday-rental business, the European Consumer Centre in Cyprus, part of the EU-wide ECC-Net, can help with cross-border consumer disputes. Neither body can recover money taken by a fraudster posing as a private landlord; that is a matter for the police and your bank.

What to do next

1. Read our guide to renting in Cyprus: contracts, deposits and tenant rights before you sign anything.
2. Use the area finder to compare towns and neighbourhoods, then compare rents for similar homes there so a price that is too good stands out.
3. Check any agent on the council's register, and find property professionals in our directory.
4. Add utilities and residence registration to your plan with the first 90 days admin checklist.