On 17/01/2010 the Cyprus Parliament amended the Hotels and other Tourists Establishments Law in order to facilitate the regulation of self-catering accommodation which did not fall under the existing categories defined in the legislation for hotels or tourist accommodations. The Law is directed at operators or individuals who use online platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com.
The renting of self-catering accommodation is from now on prohibited, unless the following conditions are met:
- It bears the specific features and specifications which are defined by law;
- The accommodation is registered in the Register of Self-Catering Accommodations;
- It maintains at the time of operation a valid and renewed registration license.
In order to obtain a registration license, an application must be completed and submitted by the legal owner and/or rightful users to the Deputy Ministry of Tourism at a fee. The application must be accompanied by documentation proving that the self-catering accommodation has been registered to the Tax Department, the details of the dwelling as well as its technical specifications.
Self-catering accommodations operating before the enactment of the legislation have been granted a 2-year grace period to conform.
Non-conformation with the Law is considered a criminal offence and is punishable with a fine up to €5.000 and/or imprisonment up to 1 year.