Cyprus Legislation | Purchasing Property
5 years November 22, 2018
Listed Buildings in Cyprus: Application & Definition
Each major city in Cyprus has an “Old Town” district where the streets and buildings have been conserved to represent their original Greek styles and architecture.
As a result of this, there are many areas of entirely listed buildings; and as such, are all privy to preservation orders that have been issued by the Cyprus Ministry of Interior and is regulated by Article 38 of the Town & Planning Act (Law 90/1972).
A preservation order can be issued for buildings after an evaluation to evaluate the following characteristics:
- Buildings with a particular architecture from the Medieval periods.
- Historical factors such as buildings from the Renaissance & Ottoman periods.
- Social or any other special point of interest (from the British Colonial Rule).
- The typology (Greek style windows with shutters).
- The morphology.
- The materials used for its construction (typically ashlar stone).
- Social events held or relating to it.
An important criterion is also its location; whether it is located in an area of special character or a compact historical area with a traditional core. Buildings located outside of the typical old town areas can be acknowledged as needing to be preserved only if they are considered to be of exceptional or particular individuality or significance.
Before the commencement of any construction work on a preserved or listed property takes place, an application must be filed with the Town Planning and Housing Department and a special license obtained from the Minister of Interior. Maintenance, general preservation, restoration, alterations or other projects modifying the original structure all require permission.
Tip: A successful application will contain a legitimate purpose for the construction such as to cover needs of a more modern household. The reason should be consistent and won’t affect the authentic character of the building.
Provided certain circumstances are satisfied, any spending incurred for the preservation of listed buildings in Cyprus is a permissible tax exemption. Please note that there are no any limitations regarding sale, transferal, donation or rent of a preserved building unless specified in the terms of sale.
Subsidy Application for a Preserved Building in Cyprus
The subsidy plan concerns the maintenance and restoration of the building and is granted as a combined authorisation for the full maintenance solely for a one-time project with a specified starting and end date.
If the owner of a preserved or listed building in Cyprus wants subsidy rights for the maintenance of a preserved building, an application must be submitted to the Head of the Town Planning and Housing Department.
For more information on applying for subsidy application, contact us.