The Cypriot government’s ambitious new bill to regulate the management of 30,000 jointly-owned buildings is facing collapse after the five District Local Government Organisations (DLGOs)—the very bodies tasked with implementing it—have strongly opposed the plan.
In a memorandum to Parliament, the DLGOs warned that the proposed law would saddle them with complex, resource-intensive duties they are completely unprepared to handle, arguing they were excluded from the drafting process.
The Core Conflict: Unfunded Mandates
The proposed legislation would make the DLGOs responsible for registering and supervising building management committees, maintaining a national register, resolving disputes, and issuing fines.
The DLGOs argue these responsibilities are impossible to fulfill without a proper framework, which the Interior Ministry has failed to provide. Specifically, they are demanding:
- Specialized software to manage the register.
- A new, dedicated service staffed with qualified personnel.
- A realistic budget, noting the proposed administrative fees are too low to cover operational costs.
“It is impossible to assign new responsibilities without a proper structure, budget, and staff,” a representative for the DLGO presidents stated.
Criticism of the Ministry
The DLGOs’ complaint that they were never consulted was echoed by the Standing Committee on Internal Affairs. The committee’s chair recently criticized the Interior Ministry for drafting the bill without the input of the organizations expected to enforce it.
This follows a difficult transition for the DLGOs, which only just assumed responsibility for managing dangerous buildings in April 2025—a duty they claim they are still struggling to perform due to a lack of clear guidance and adequate financial support.
What the Bill Aims to Fix (and What It Misses)
The controversial bill is intended to solve long-standing neglect in apartment blocks and other shared properties, where the absence of inspections has led to safety hazards like collapsing balconies and deteriorating walls.
Key proposals in the law include:
- Mandatory Inspections: Forcing structural, mechanical, and electrical inspections by certified professionals.
- Reserve Funds: Requiring management committees to set up a “sinking fund” for future repairs.
- Fee Enforcement: Preventing a property owner from selling their unit until all outstanding communal fees have been paid.
However, critics point out a major shortfall in the legislation: it fails to provide a mechanism for the prompt collection of communal fees. This leaves committees without the immediate cash flow needed to pay for essential services like building insurance, lift maintenance, and urgent safety repairs, effectively setting them up to fail.
Source: Cyprus Property News