TIME FOR US TO RELAX...

In a recent judgment dated 28 May 2025 were our office co-handled the case succesfuly on behalf of the tenants, the Rent Control Court of Nicosia dismissed an application for the determination and increase of rent relating to a commercial premises, holding that it lacked jurisdiction to adjudicate the matter. The Court found that the tenancy remained contractual and periodic, and that the tenant had never acquired statutory tenancy status within the meaning of the Rent Control Law (Law 23/1983).

Agreement occurs when a party consents to an offer’s terms, either through explicit statements or actions that reflect those terms. In Cyprus, if parties engage in activities that align with the proposed terms, a contract may exist without a written document, provided both are aware of the offer.

In Cyprus, the defences of waiver and promissory estoppel are often raised to block claims where a party appears to have abandoned a right or made a promise not to enforce it. These principles, rooted in English common law and applied in Cypriot jurisprudence, aim to ensure fairness where one party’s conduct leads another to reasonably rely on the abandonment of a right. Below is a concise guide to when these defences apply, why they matter, and how courts assess them.