Almost a month has passed since applications for the urban planning amnesty began, but the Interior Ministry is not satisfied with the progress of the initiative.
As it turns out, Cypriots are not showing much interest in the government programme. The main reason for this is the obligation to attract qualified professionals to apply.
Moreover, the legalisation of buildings built without the necessary permits not only takes time, but also costs money. Many people try in vain to find civil engineers and architects to check, collect documents and submit an application to the Ministry of Urban Development. Note that the final cost of this process depends on many factors and can reach several thousand euros. To these costs must be added the compensation that the owner of the illegal building must pay to the state for legalisation.
The owners of apartments with illegal conversions have the most problems. According to the agency, they must obtain the signatures of all interested parties, including owners and co-owners of the entire apartment complex. The presence or absence of separate title deeds does not matter.
Remember that the urban planning amnesty is in force until the end of March 2025.
It applies to already completed buildings, including residential, industrial and office buildings. All funds received under this programme will be used for the construction of affordable housing, which will improve housing conditions for socially vulnerable groups. More details on the urban planning amnesty can be found on the website of the Department of Urban Planning.