Nicosia, Cyprus. Reports of Cyprus’s strongest property sales year since 2007 have coincided with continued buyer complaints over title deeds, permits and developer-related disputes. Some purchasers say legislative changes have helped but have not resolved longstanding problems.
Sales reports and ongoing buyer concerns
Property pages have carried reports describing 2025 as the strongest year for property sales since 2007, with Limassol leading and Paphos close behind. The reports have highlighted rising high-end sales to wealthy foreign buyers, while complaints persist of people being swindled, misled, or sold false expectations by developers and lawyers.
Common problems cited in property purchases
Buyers have reported issues including elusive title deeds, missing permits, developers who disappear, and tenants who refuse to leave. Some have said they turned to the state for guidance but encountered what they described as a lack of help.
A 1992 purchase still without title deeds
Jayne Richards said her parents paid in full for a residential property in Cyprus on November 30, 1992, took possession immediately, and that it has been occupied peacefully and continuously since then. She told the Cyprus Mail that 33 years later, and after €46,000 in legal fees, they still do not have title deeds.
Richards said her parents were among thousands who had paid in full but were not issued title deeds because developers had mortgages on the properties. Developers’ land and buildings are counted as assets to be offset against their debt to banks, giving banks a claim on properties mortgaged by developers.
“More than 33 years later, no separate title deeds have ever been issued to them,” Richards said. She added that the family made repeated attempts to resolve the situation through Cypriot lawyers.
If you are considering buying property in Cyprus, what safeguards would you expect to prevent title deed delays?