To maintain law and order amidst the crisis posed by the novel coronavirus, the government of Cyprus has frozen the pending eviction of all tenants who are unable to pay their rent till May 2020.
The executive order was made after the rapid passed of a bill by the Cabinet. Said bill amends the Rent Law and freezes any and all eviction notices and court proceedings for a period of time. Any owner who evicts their tenant during this period will thus be going against the law.
The decision was taken taking into account the difficulties faced by business and households after the various lockdowns that have been put in place due to the crisis posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. All businesses and stories except kiosks, supermarkets and bakeries are currently closed.
The amendment to the bill will cover tenants failing to pay rent till May 1.
Interestingly, this amendment to the Rent Control Law comes very soon after the one that was made in January this year. This first amendment made it easier for landlords to evict those tenants who did not pay their dues on purpose. Under this, landlords can file a suit and evict tenants who have failed to pay their rent despite having the means to do so.
In an exigent circumstance such as COVID-19, however, this amendment has been put on hold on grounds on maintaining law and order and helping business and families best keep afloat.
