The active audit of rented properties owned by Turkish Cypriots continues in Cyprus.
On Monday 4 November, the Ministry of Interior announced that it had checked 3,755 contracts. Of these, 511 were found to have various irregularities and legal proceedings have been initiated. The ministry stressed that the initiative was aimed at eliminating existing violations. In the future, current legislation will be amended to introduce a new procedure for the distribution of Turkish Cypriot property in the Republic of Cyprus. In particular, applicants will be assessed on the basis of clear, objective and measurable indicators when concluding rental contracts. And the distribution of Turkish Cypriot property will be based on the socio-economic situation of the applicants and the composition of their families.
It should be recalled that after the occupation of the northern part of Cyprus by Turkey in 1974, the properties of the Turkish Cypriots in the south of the island were taken over by the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Cyprus.
As the Greek Cypriot refugees needed accommodation, the government decided to rent to them the houses and apartments of the Turkish Cypriots who had left in 1974. They were charged a small fee for the rent. One of the conditions was the obligation to return the property to its rightful owners, the Turkish Cypriots, if necessary.
In 1991, a special service was set up to manage Turkish Cypriot properties, the Guardian of Turkish Cypriot Properties. Since its inception, a number of irregularities have been uncovered in the process of renting out such accommodation. In particular, many tenants sublet the properties allocated to them, which is strictly prohibited. They did not declare the money they received from subletting to the Department of Taxes and Levies, and consequently did not pay taxes on it. This went on for at least ten years.