Who Needs a Licence
Not every trade is regulated the same way. Three are worth knowing about before you hire for work at home. Electricians: according to the Cyprus government's business portal, no unregistered individual or company can carry out electrical work. An electrician must hold a Certificate of Competence and an annual Registration Certificate, which is valid until 31 December of the year it is issued. The registration is issued by the Department of Electrical and Mechanical Services. A certificate from an earlier year is therefore out of date. Air conditioning, heating, ventilation and hot-water installers: installers of the technical systems of buildings need a registration certificate from the Energy Service of the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry, which keeps the Registry of installers. LPG (gas) installers: these must be approved by the Chief Inspector of the Department of Labour Inspection. We have not found a public lookup of licensed electricians, so the check below relies on asking to see the paperwork.
How to Check Before You Hire
Ask first, before any work starts. For an electrician, ask to see the Certificate of Competence and the registration certificate for the current year. For air conditioning, heating or hot-water work, ask for the installer's Energy Service registration. For anything involving gas, use an approved LPG installer. Check that the business has a real website or office, a phone number that answers and a name you can write down. Ask what work they will do themselves and whether anyone else will be on site. The businesses in our home services directory (/sections/home-services/) were each checked on their own website on 4 October 2026. That is not an endorsement and it is not a licence check, so the questions above still apply to every one of them.
Interactive tool
Should you rent or buy in Cyprus?
Compare the true long-run cost of renting versus buying over your time horizon.
Your inputs
Break-even year
Year 1
when buying becomes cheaper
Rent total (10 yr)
€192,593
cumulative rent paid
Buy net cost (10 yr)
€33,149
after equity and opportunity cost
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Transfer fees (after the 50% reduction) | €8,600 |
| VAT (none on a resale) | €0 |
| Legal fees (1.25% plus 19% VAT) | €4,463 |
| Total upfront | €13,063 |
| Year | Cumulative rent | Buy net cost | Home equity | Cheaper option |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | €16,800 | €16,601 | €106,652 | Buy ahead |
| Year 2 | €34,104 | €19,817 | €123,998 | Buy ahead |
| Year 3 | €51,927 | €22,703 | €142,067 | Buy ahead |
| Year 4 | €70,285 | €25,254 | €160,888 | Buy ahead |
| Year 5 | €89,193 | €27,461 | €180,494 | Buy ahead |
| Year 6 | €108,669 | €29,320 | €200,918 | Buy ahead |
| Year 7 | €128,729 | €30,824 | €222,193 | Buy ahead |
| Year 8 | €149,391 | €31,967 | €244,355 | Buy ahead |
| Year 9 | €170,673 | €32,744 | €267,441 | Buy ahead |
| Year 10 | €192,593 | €33,149 | €291,490 | Buy ahead |
Quotes and Payment Tips
Get a written quote that describes the work, the materials and what is and is not included. For larger jobs, ask for two or three quotes and compare like with like. Agree the scope and timing in writing before work begins, and keep messages, quotes and receipts in one place. Be wary of anyone who asks for the full amount upfront; paying in stages as work is completed is safer for you. Ask for a receipt or invoice for every payment. If the price changes during the job, ask for the change in writing before you agree to it.
If Something Goes Wrong
Start by raising the problem with the tradesperson in writing, with photos and a copy of the quote or invoice. For consumer complaints, contact the Consumer Protection Service. Its Consumer Helpline is 1429, and contact details are on the Service's website, consumer.gov.cy. If the work involved an unregistered electrician or installer, the registering body named above is the place to ask about it. We have not verified any specific legal remedies, so for a larger dispute speak to a lawyer.