On Thursday, July 10, the members of the Cyprus Parliament unanimously approved amendments to the management and distribution of real estate owned by Turkish Cypriots. The new rules are expected to streamline the bureaucratic system, introduce transparent rental procedures, and eliminate the arbitrariness that has been criticized by tenants and local authorities for years.
Key provisions of the new rules include:
- A list of available rental properties will be published quarterly on the Turkish Cypriot Property Administration's official website.
- Rents have been reduced. Refugees will pay 60% of the market value initially, gradually increasing to 75%. For other tenants, the rate will increase to the full market value within a specified period.
- The possibility of subletting has been expanded. Tenants who are unable to continue their activities due to health or other personal reasons may now sublet their property, provided that they have owned it for at least 10 years.
- Provisions that allowed the Minister of Internal Affairs to reduce rent or provide real estate without offering it on the market have been removed.
- Land used for agriculture or animal husbandry can now be transferred to heirs who are refugees and professional farmers without re-publication.
- Leasing properties in special management areas requires signing a guarantee agreement or providing a third-party guarantee.
According to MPs, these changes streamline access to property for Turkish Cypriots and ensure social justice, particularly for refugee families who have endured unclear and opaque procedures for decades.
The authorities hope that the new rules will increase trust in state institutions and establish long-term sustainability in state property management. The new regulatory framework was developed amid ongoing political divisions between the two communities on the island. The distribution and use of property abandoned by Turkish Cypriots due to the events of 1974 remain sensitive issues from legal and humanitarian perspectives.
Nevertheless, Parliament's actions aim to balance the interests of all parties, ensuring respect for the property rights of Turkish Cypriots and guaranteeing that displaced Greek Cypriots can enjoy this property under fair and legal conditions.