Developers call for building inspections and dangerous building law

The Cyprus property developers association has called for regular technical inspections of buildings and to expedite legislation covering dangerous buildings, saying on Tuesday that “there is no longer any room for further delays”.

The association is proposing a system similar to an MOT for buildings, under which properties would undergo periodic inspections to identify structural problems before they become a risk to residents or the public.

Mersina Isidorou, the associations general manager, said “the safety of buildings and citizens cannot be left to chance”, calling for legislation on dangerous buildings to be completed during the new parliamentary term.

The association said the examination of amendments to the roads and buildings regulation law should be completed and the bill passed during the autumn.

It also called for the reform of jointly owned buildings, which it said has been pending since 2023.

The calls follow several serious building incidents in recent months, including the collapse of part of a building in Yermasoyia in April, in which two people died, and the collapse of balconies at a seven-storey apartment building in Kapsalos in June.

The association also called for stronger management committees for jointly owned buildings, reserve funds for maintenance and mechanisms allowing authorities to intervene when urgent work is required.

The issue comes as authorities in Nicosia deal with a wider problem involving potentially unsafe buildings.

The Nicosia district government organisation (EOA) is handling some 1,495 cases, of which 711 have been formally classified as dangerous, 130 are being assessed for inclusion on the register and 654 remain under investigation.

The EOA has called for €2 million a year in state funding for the next decade to address the district’s dangerous buildings.

The technical chamber (Etek) has also called for regular inspections, particularly of older buildings constructed before modern earthquake safety standards were introduced.

Its president, Constantinos Constantis, has described building safety as “a perennial and systemic problem” and called for authorities to focus more on prevention.