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ARTICLE · 01 DECEMBER 2025

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Cyprus Courts Ruled: Tenants Commit A Criminal Offence By Refusing To Vacate Rental Premises

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Our legal analysis of the case CCSRE Real Estate Company Ltd v Theodorou Menelaou (Crim. App. 94/2022, 31.10.2025)...

CyprusReal Estate and Construction
Angelos Paphitis
Angelos Paphitis
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Our legal analysis of the case CCSRE Real Estate Company Ltd v Theodorou Menelaou (Crim. App. 94/2022, 31.10.2025)

1. Why this judgment matters

In its judgment of 31 October 2025, the Cyprus Court of Appeal (Criminal Jurisdiction) held that a tenant who remains in possession of leased premises after lawful termination of the tenancy and a clear demand to vacate, commits the offence of unlawful possession of immovable property under Article 281(1)(a) of the Criminal Code, Cap. 154.

In simple terms: once the landlord has unequivocally terminated the lease and withdrawn consent, a tenant who refuses to leave is no longer a "difficult tenant" in a purely civil dispute – he may be a criminal offender.

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