Residents who joined Nicosia municipality under the new local administration reform were in for a shock in March, when they started receiving inflated annual property tax bills.

The bills appear to be up to 50 per cent higher for 2025 compared to 2024 before their municipalities merged with Nicosia.

They were also given less time to pay the taxes.

Bills for 2025 were sent out in January by post and can take up to eight weeks to reach the property owners, who have until the end of April to pay.

Last year and all years before that the deadline was the end of September.

Residents who contacted Nicosia municipality over what they believed was an error were told that this was the new rate and all the information was available online.

Information on Nicosia municipality’s website says the property tax for 2025 is 0.035 per cent of the estimated value of the property and that overdue payments will be charged an extra 10 per cent on the amount of the fee.

One resident in former Aglandjia municipality presented a 2024 bill for €75.55, which this year has gone up to €110.62, without any warning.

Other residents in Ayios Pavlos, former Ayios Dhometios municipality, received bills for €62.96 this year, compared to €43.17 last year, and €20.99 in 2025 compared to €14.39 in 2024.

Whereas last year the residents in both former municipalities had until September 30 to pay, this year as part of Nicosia municipality the deadline is April 30.

The charges are expected to be discussed at the House internal affairs committee on Thursday at 9am, with the interior ministry pushing for a cap and the municipalities saying fees were their own prerogative.

The tax paid to municipalities is separate from the immoveable property tax paid to inland revenue, which was abolished in 2017.