The Secretary General of the Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber (ETEK), Andreas Theodotou, expressed the expectation that parliamentary discussions will lead to a revision of the legislation on dangerous buildings by the end of 2026.
Speaking to CNA following the collapse of a balcony from a dangerous building in Limassol on Thursday, Mr Theodotou said the incident was worrying because, according to information received by ETEK, the building had been declared dangerous and legal proceedings had begun, but these procedures are time-consuming.
He recalled that the issue of the Streets and Buildings Regulation Law was discussed before the Parliamentary Committee on Internal Affairs in early September, with the aim of giving district local government organisations (EOAs) more tools.
As he explained, the objective is to reduce delays so that EOAs, when necessary, can immediately seal a building and even proceed with works. Under the current legislation, he added, they cannot take action without the owner’s consent.
The ETEK Secretary General also referred to the issue of funding for EOAs. He said the organisations should initially have a fund for evacuation or repair works and then be able, where necessary, to legally claim the money from the owners.
He noted that the number of dangerous buildings is now so high that a relatively substantial fund is required. He also described as positive the willingness of the Ministry of Interior to support the EOAs by providing relevant funding.
Mr Theodotou also stressed the importance of establishing building inspections, which he described as the only preventive measure. He said that if the measure had been in place during the ten years in which the issue has been under discussion, dangerous buildings would have been identified much earlier.
He also referred to the discussion held in Parliament on 10 September concerning legislation on jointly owned buildings. The aim is to address problems arising from the failure to establish management committees and reserve funds for the maintenance of apartment buildings.
He expressed the expectation that this legislation would also be passed, noting that the necessary amendments are expected to be examined from October so that the laws can be passed by the end of 2026.
The ETEK Secretary General also said that the Chamber has for years organised seminars to train its members in identifying damage and completing the relevant reports.
Finally, he stressed that owners of jointly owned buildings should not be overly concerned about the cost of repairs when regular inspections are carried out. An apartment building aged 20 to 25 years, he explained, will generally have far less damage, and the repair cost per owner will be proportionally lower than that of a building left without maintenance for 40 or 50 years.
Source: CNA
