The mayor of Limassol, Yannis Armeftis, has initiated the introduction of fines for building owners who do not take the necessary measures to repair their buildings.
This follows a number of cases of balconies collapsing in different parts of the city. The latest happened recently in the Germasoya neighbourhood.
According to the mayor, there are around 500 buildings in Limassol that need to be repaired, of which almost 150 pose a serious safety risk. Armeftis stressed that the cost of repairing such buildings is estimated at 500,000 euros, which is far beyond the municipality's budget. He gave the example of a building restored 15 years ago for which the debt is still outstanding, pointing out the difficulties in recovering the money invested.
Among the mayor's proposals are the introduction of a certificate of suitability for buildings, which would confirm their safety, and the creation of legal norms obliging management committees to take responsibility for the maintenance of buildings. Owners will be fined if they fail to comply. The municipality actively cooperates with building owners, but for those who continue to evade compliance, information is passed on to the relevant authorities for further action.
It should be noted that most of the emergency buildings in Limassol are located in the area of the historic centre or Neapolis.
They were built between 1974 and the mid-1990s, when the anti-seismic code began to be applied in the country. Today, many buildings in Limassol are in a state of disrepair due to poor quality construction, time and lack of proper repairs. Indeed, the municipal engineers responsible for assessing the condition of the houses have found that standards were not met during construction, resulting in very poor condition of the load-bearing structures, floors and balconies. There are cracks in the concrete due to oxidation of the reinforcement. Moisture enters the walls through the cracks and the metal oxidises even more. Gradually, the whole structure is deteriorating and collapsing.
The mayor of Limassol has called on owners of dangerous buildings to contact the authorities and work together to take measures to protect residents and passers-by. If you notice that your house is becoming unsafe, there are cracks, the paint is peeling, call 25 884300, 25 884311 (Municipal Technical Service) or 25 884331 (Municipal Residents' Service Office).