Nicosia district records 711 officially dangerous buildings

Nicosia, Cyprus. The Nicosia district government organisation (EOA) has confirmed that 711 buildings in the district are officially registered as dangerous, while it is handling 1,495 cases overall.

Cases under review

Of the 1,495 cases being handled by the EOA, 711 buildings have been entered in the active register of dangerous buildings, 130 are undergoing the formal process of being declared dangerous, and 654 remain under assessment.

The technical chamber, Etek, has said the buildings already identified as dangerous are “only the visible part of the problem”.

Enforcement measures

The EOA has so far ordered residents to leave two dangerous buildings and issued warning letters to owners in seven other cases.

It said it would initiate legal proceedings to remove tenants if owners in those cases fail to act. In two additional cases, the organisation has sought court approval to demolish buildings after owners did not respond.

Five buildings have also been fenced off as an immediate safety measure.

Funding and staffing request

The EOA has called for stable government funding of €2 million per year over the next decade to address the issue.

It identified staff and funding shortages as its main challenge, noting that responsibility for dangerous buildings was transferred to the organisation in April last year without sufficient planning.

The organisation said the interior ministry should have prepared for the transfer by introducing new software, arranging the necessary staffing and setting fees that reflect the actual cost of the work.

The EOA has also asked the finance ministry to establish a special fund to finance urgent repair works when owners refuse to carry them out, with the costs subsequently recovered from the owners.