# Renters Left without notice.



## Passy (Jan 12, 2014)

Hi all,

Sorry to bring this to the attention of the forum. It would be useful to state that we live in the UK at the moment and plan on returning this year to Cyprus. No doubt after checking all the sites this certainly is the most friendly and helpful forum out there. Great advice for all. However I do not know if you can help with any advice with my question. I have a small portfolio of flats that we bought in the 80's and finally one house that we luxuriously built in Peyia in 2007. Our tenants who have lived there for the past 2 years have basically done a runner in Peyia. They were a couple from Holland who had agreed a tenancy for a typical 1 year period. I can only think that it was the employment situation and the current mess that we all are under with those who have properties out there. The tenants had asked for a reduction in their rent and we had granted them that. Originally our Villa was for rent at 2700 euros which was due to it being of a very high standard, built to live in and not to rent. The fixtures and fittings and setting had been built to an exacting standard. However we ended up letting it out at 1500 euros just for us to cover our expenses, when the crisis toke hold. So as you can see we were not unreasonable. We did try to be balanced and helpful accepting payments not on the dot. As they had lived there for three years without no debt on the rentals.But they just suddenly disappeared in October due to the worsening employment situation. We are caught in a trap now in that we would loose substantially if we sold the property and secondly the rental market is way down in price. My question is although I do not like the thought of kicking someone when they are down, can we take them to court and get the balance of payments?. The problem is to track them down on the Island is going to cost a fortune with solicitors fees. Plus no guarantee that they can actually be found!!. I have spoken to a few people locally and they are telling me that i should just forget it. And try and move on in getting the house rented out. Is this the best option?. What do you guys think?. The last thing i want to do is pay for somebody to get an address and then pay for court proceedings to find out they cant pay next to nothing back. 

Thanks to ALL!!!


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## aj2703 (Apr 21, 2012)

Passy said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Sorry to bring this to the attention of the forum. It would be useful to state that we live in the UK at the moment and plan on returning this year to Cyprus. No doubt after checking all the sites this certainly is the most friendly and helpful forum out there. Great advice for all. However I do not know if you can help with any advice with my question. I have a small portfolio of flats that we bought in the 80's and finally one house that we luxuriously built in Peyia in 2007. Our tenants who have lived there for the past 2 years have basically done a runner in Peyia. They were a couple from Holland who had agreed a tenancy for a typical 1 year period. I can only think that it was the employment situation and the current mess that we all are under with those who have properties out there. The tenants had asked for a reduction in their rent and we had granted them that. Originally our Villa was for rent at 2700 euros which was due to it being of a very high standard, built to live in and not to rent. The fixtures and fittings and setting had been built to an exacting standard. However we ended up letting it out at 1500 euros just for us to cover our expenses, when the crisis toke hold. So as you can see we were not unreasonable. We did try to be balanced and helpful accepting payments not on the dot. As they had lived there for three years without no debt on the rentals.But they just suddenly disappeared in October due to the worsening employment situation. We are caught in a trap now in that we would loose substantially if we sold the property and secondly the rental market is way down in price. My question is although I do not like the thought of kicking someone when they are down, can we take them to court and get the balance of payments?. The problem is to track them down on the Island is going to cost a fortune with solicitors fees. Plus no guarantee that they can actually be found!!. I have spoken to a few people locally and they are telling me that i should just forget it. And try and move on in getting the house rented out. Is this the best option?. What do you guys think?. The last thing i want to do is pay for somebody to get an address and then pay for court proceedings to find out they cant pay next to nothing back.
> 
> Thanks to ALL!!!



Chances are they are not even on the island. If they can't afford the rent i am guessing they don't work etc. I think you would be wasting your time and money. How exactly would you get them to pay up anyway as it's obvious they don't have any funds.

Cut your losses and spend your time getting it rented out again. Maybe look at holiday lets..? You might get enough to cover the whole years income...


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

To try to pursue them in court (even if you managed to find them) would take years as the legal system here grinds so slowly. It would be expensive and stressful so really not worth bothering.
Be thankful if they didn't also wreck the place or steal valuable items as so many renters who do a bunk have done.
I would tend to think that the best plan would be to put the property in the hands of a reputable holiday letting agency. 
To be honest in your shoes I would be thankful about the fact that you have been able to rent it out for that sort of money with the way things have been the past few years. There are many luxury villas that have been standing empty for years.


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## Passy (Jan 12, 2014)

Thanks so much to you Veronica and AJ. I will take your advice and settle with a home that has not been damaged. Good to have some honest heartfelt help. I agree with you both. I just needed the confirmation from people such as yourselves with experience out there these days. Being in the UK one looses touch. Once again thank you so much. I agree with you both with the holiday lettings. However we will probably use the home for seasonal lets to ourselves. To be frank renting in Cyprus is hit and miss and when we consider in general we have lost out. We are in negative equity already and are tired and exhausted. Thankfully we do not have mortgages anymore on the properties but we would have made much more money had we been 'wiser' and used it in the U.K. But that is life. One good thing is now we have the opportunity and reason to return to the beautiful island. Looking forward to making many acquaintances on this great site!!...)))) Keep up all the good work all contributors.!!


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## mta (Dec 29, 2013)

Been looking at rentals today and spoke to a lady who said this had happened the past two times, last time tenants damaged property left mess and left without paying. Sounds like a bad situation and doesn't make it easy for us


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

We get regular emails from rental companies with details of bad renters and it still amazes me what some of them get up to.
They leave with unpaid electric bills, damage to the property, things stolen from the property often to sell for the money for air fares home. Sometimes they will do deliberate damage like leaving taps running to flood the properties.

People complain about greedy landlords but when you consider the actual cost to the landlord if they happen to get a bad tenant you can't blame them for trying to get as much rent as they can to cover themselves against such eventualities.

We have a long list of bad tenants.


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## Talagirl (Feb 24, 2013)

Unfortunately people leaving rented accommodation before the contract ends is becoming more common and landlords are having to chase the rental payments on a monthly basis which is very time consuming and in some cases the tenant just says they cannot afford to pay and offers to do eg painting or cleaning jobs in lieu of payment. Usually at the start of a tenancy payment of one month's rent plus the same amount as a security deposit is the norm and when a tenant plans to leave the property they stop paying rent because they don't trust the landlord will pay them back the security deposit! My friend who lets properties on behalf of overseas owners says it just isn't worth chasing these people, and the state of the property varies from one tenant to the next. Rentals are still coming down and there are plenty of all types of accommodation to let. We have signed a two year contract, initially through an agent, but now we deal direct with the landlord.


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