There is increased demand due to the growing student population and the limited availability of organized student housing, Marinos Kynigirou, president of the Real Estate Agents Registration Council, told CNA regarding student housing, emphasizing the importance of starting the search early.

Rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Nicosia ranges from €600 to €900; in Limassol, prices reach up to €1,500; in Larnaca and Paphos, prices are roughly the same as in Nicosia, while in Paralimni, they do not exceed €700, he noted.

The goal, within one or two years, upon completion of the university’s own dormitories, is to guarantee a room for all first-year students who want one, as well as for all students facing financial hardship, said Vasilis Protopapas, head of the Office of Academic Affairs and Student Services at CUT.

There are plans to build additional dormitories with a total capacity of approximately 900 new beds, and, with the cooperation of the government, the first 500 are expected to be available in three years, said Kleanthis Pissarides, head of the Office of Academic Affairs and Student Services at the University of Cyprus.

Mr. Kynaigirou commented on the current situation in the real estate market regarding students’ search for housing when asked about it by CNA. The heads of the Academic Affairs and Student Services departments at CUT, Vasilis Protopapas, and at the University of Cyprus, Kleanthis Pissarides, discussed their universities’ housing policies.

“It’s very important to start looking early”

Demand is constantly rising, especially at the beginning of each academic year, Mr. Kynigirou told CNA when asked, noting, however, that it is still too early to draw comparisons with last year’s situation. Areas near universities continue to be among the most vibrant rental markets, he noted.

“Nicosia is the country’s largest student market. Limassol has the highest prices. This is because many foreign workers and businesses are looking for rental properties. Larnaca and Paphos are also seeing increased demand,” he said, noting that the increased demand in Larnaca and Paphos is linked to the development of these two cities.

According to Mr. Kynigirou, the increased demand is linked both to the expansion of the student population and to the limited availability of organized student housing. “It is noteworthy that, according to comprehensive data from the Statistical Service, enrollment in higher education reached 57,889 during the 2023–2024 academic year, marking a 9.4% increase compared to the previous year,” he noted. At the same time, approximately 700 applications for student housing are submitted annually in Limassol, while the number of available spots in organized dormitories remains significantly lower, he added.

When asked whether there is sufficient supply and what rent levels are like in each city, Mr. Kynaigirou stated that the student housing market in Cyprus depends heavily on the available apartments. “The supply of organized student housing is limited, and there are significant differences between the districts,” he added.

According to him, rental prices for a one-bedroom apartment in Nicosia range from €600 to €900, and for two-bedroom apartments, prices are about 20% to 30% higher, while for three-bedroom apartments, the highest price reaches approximately €1,700.

In Limassol, he noted, costs are among the highest in Cyprus. He mentioned that prices for a one-bedroom apartment reach up to €1,500, while for a two-bedroom apartment they reach €2,000. When it comes to three-bedroom apartments, the price can go as high as €2,700, he added.

In Larnaca and Paphos, prices for both one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments are roughly the same as those in Nicosia. In contrast, for three-bedroom apartments, the highest price is about 15%–20% lower than in Nicosia, he said.

In Paralimni, where there are fewer schools, he said, rents for a one-bedroom apartment do not exceed €700, and for a two-bedroom apartment, the maximum price is around €900. The €900 figure is the starting price for three-bedroom apartments, he noted.

When asked whether there are difficulties in finding housing within the budget set by students, Mr. Kynaigeirou stated that the main problem is not only the number of available properties, but mainly the limited supply of housing at prices that students and their families can afford.

“So yes, it is very difficult to find housing within the budget constraints set by students and their families,” he said, adding that the problem is the limited supply of small, furnished, functional apartments at affordable prices, which are mainly located in areas near the universities.

“Students are competing with workers, families, and people who come to Cyprus for work. This competition keeps prices high,” he pointed out.

Because of this, he continued, many students have to look for housing farther away from the university, while many students choose to live with other students.

“Starting your search early is very important. The cheapest and best places get snapped up quickly, especially before the academic year begins,” he said.

TEPAK: Better Every Year

“This year things are better than last year, and every year is better in terms of housing because we’ve made decisions regarding both the construction of dormitories and a rent subsidy,” Vasilis Protopapas, Head of the Office of Academic Affairs and Student Services at CUT, told CNA when asked about the university’s housing policy.

He noted that CUT has students in two cities—Limassol and Paphos—and will soon have students in Larnaca as well.

“Our housing policies cover our students in both cities. In Paphos, for example, there is the Paphos Municipality student dormitory next to the School, which was built specifically for the School. We accommodate a large number of students there,” said Mr. Protopapas.

He added that they also have some apartments—again owned by the Paphos Municipality—in the city center, where the university also houses some students. “If there are students facing financial difficulties but cannot find rooms in the dormitory, we provide a rent subsidy of 250 euros per month for 10 months, from September through June,” he noted.

“Of course, demand always outstrips supply,” he said, adding that there are about 180 beds in Paphos, but that demand is higher, which is why a number of students in Paphos receive a rent allowance.

CUT’s budget for rent subsidies is 800,000 euros per year, he said.

“In Limassol, the situation is better, because the Archdiocese’s dormitory has been here for several years,” which provides 300 beds, of which the university selects where 200 will be allocated, Mr. Protopapas noted.

“In addition, starting this year, we’ll also have part of our own new dormitory. Just some rooms—not the entire building—which increases our capacity,” he added, noting that a rent subsidy is also available in Limassol. “If some students cannot find a place in the dorms and are facing financial difficulties or are first-year students, they receive a rental allowance,” he noted.

When asked, he said that their policy is to give priority for dorm rooms to students whose families meet financial criteria, followed by first-year students.

“Our goal is that, in one or two years, once our own dormitories are completed, we will have a guaranteed room for all first-year students who want one, as well as for all students facing financial hardship. We will have a large number of rooms,” said Mr. Protopapas.

“We will have 500 rooms in our own residence hall in Limassol, 200 provided by the Archdiocese in Limassol, and 200 in Paphos—a total of 900 rooms,” he said.

Mr. Protopapas noted that the majority of the university’s students are from other cities, and that only 35% of the university’s students are from Limassol.

When asked, he said that the interest expressed by students is roughly double the number of available beds.

He noted that students prefer to live in the dorms both because the price is lower and because they are assigned a room—a studio—that is self-contained and furnished.

He said that there are two types of rent in the dormitories: one is the rent paid by students who are allocated a room based on income criteria, which is 350 euros —this applies in Paphos and Limassol—while for some rooms that are not subject to the subsidized rent, the price ranges from 500 to 550 euros. These prices include all utilities, such as electricity, water, internet, and cleaning services.

Mr. Protopapas noted that there has also been private development in Limassol in recent years, due to the presence of private universities, and private dormitories accommodating 50 to 100 people are being built, where one can find a room. She noted that a private residence in the city center with approximately 95 rooms is currently being completed, with prices starting at 650 euros for a self-contained studio. He noted that this price “isn’t bad” compared to the Limassol market, where rents are much higher.

“We’ll have (students) in Larnaca next year. Our plan is to pay special attention to student housing there as well,” he said.

University of Cyprus: Plans to Build Dormitories with 900 New Beds

The university’s student dormitories have 208 rooms, which are allocated based on socioeconomic criteria, “precisely because there are so few of them and the rents at which we offer them are very low,” Kleanthis Pissarides, head of the University of Cyprus’s Office of Academic Affairs and Student Services, told CNA.

When asked about the university’s housing policy, Mr. Pissarides noted that these rooms are allocated based on socioeconomic criteria, which is why the rent is not based on market rates. He noted that no rent subsidy is provided.

He noted that there are various price tiers and different types of rooms, and that the rent is approximately 150 euros per month, including utilities such as electricity and water.

“It’s for students in need, which is why the rents are so low,” he pointed out.

When asked, he said there are plans to build additional university dormitories with a capacity of about 900 new beds. “We are in consultation with the government, because we need the relevant approvals from the government, and we are waiting for the government to grant those approvals so that we can move forward,” he added.

According to Mr. Pissarides, they expect to have the first beds available in about three years. Recognizing the market’s needs, he said, they have divided the project into two phases: first, the construction of the initial 500 beds, and then the remainder.

“So, for the first 500—if we have the government’s cooperation—we estimate they’ll be ready in three years,” he added.

When asked if they’ve received requests from students for help finding housing near the university, he said, “We help them find a place to stay, especially students who are coming to the university for the first time. However, this doesn’t involve providing specific financial assistance or finding rooms for them ourselves.”