apartment owners face a new €20 fee, and water and electricity cut-offs are proposed for debts
Serious problems have been found in the system of registration and management of multi-apartment buildings in Cyprus. According to a study by the District Self-Government Organizations (EOA), thousands of buildings remain without final registration, and state registers contain outdated and incomplete data.
Authorities are now discussing a reform that could mean extra costs for owners and tougher debt-collection measures.
📊 Scale of the problem: thousands of unregistered buildings
According to the study, there are 14,208 registered buildings with common ownership in the Republic of Cyprus and another 6,711 unregistered ones.
The latter include almost 60,000 residential units whose registration has not been completed.
The largest numbers of such buildings were found in these districts:
• Nicosia — 2,297
• Limassol — 1,661
• Paphos — 1,061
• Famagusta — 934
• Larnaca — 758
Reasons vary: in some cases owners did not submit the required documents; in others applications are still under review.
💶 New annual fee for apartment owners
The EOA propose an additional charge of €20 per year for each residential unit, regardless of registration status.
According to the organizations’ calculations, the 159,659 already registered units alone could generate about €3.19 million a year.
The new payment would be collected on top of existing utility bills and contributions for common areas.
Creation of a reserve fund for building repairs is also envisaged, which could raise owners’ regular costs.
⚡ Water and electricity cut-offs proposed for debts
One of the most controversial points of the reform is the proposal to give district organizations effective tools for collecting arrears.
Among the measures under consideration is the possibility of initiating disconnection of water and electricity through the relevant services.
Important: this is an EOA proposal, not an already applicable rule.
📁 Serious gaps found in state registers
The study revealed another problem: cadastral data do not always even allow identification of current owners.
Documents contain outdated addresses, incorrect numbers of apartments, missing contact details, and objects with no owner listed.
The EOA demand a full inventory first, creation of a single digital platform, and a transitional period of at least two years.
The main question of the reform is who will pay how much to put in order a system that has operated for years with incomplete information.
While the draft law is being discussed, district organizations are seeking not only new powers but also sources of funding. Property owners should closely follow possible changes in the management of multi-apartment buildings.
@cyprus_kipr
