The Limassol District Local Government Organisation has issued a public safety call to all building owners and management committees following a recent serious building collapse, urging immediate action on the condition, maintenance and structural integrity of properties across the district.
The organisation stressed that monitoring a building's condition and taking timely remedial action is not optional but a legal and moral responsibility of all those with ownership, management or operational control over a property, including management committees responsible for common areas and shared parts of apartment buildings.
Particular attention is urged for older buildings and those showing visible signs of deterioration, including cracking, detachment of plaster or concrete, exposed reinforcement, dampness, corrosion, deformation, settlement or any other indication of declining structural condition.
The organisation is calling on all owners and management committees to arrange inspections and structural assessments without delay by qualified professionals registered with the Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber (ETEK), and where required by companies registered in ETEK's Register of Study Companies.
The statement makes clear that where a building is found to present a dangerous condition, those responsible are legally obliged to take all necessary measures immediately to remove the danger and protect occupants, users and passers-by. The organisation warned that in cases of indifference, omission or non-compliance it will use all powers available to it under the law, including prohibiting use of a building, ordering its evacuation, restricting access, closing premises, applying to the courts for relevant orders, imposing administrative fines and initiating criminal proceedings against any person found to have disregarded the safety of others.