Nearly half of the houses in Cyprus were built before 1994 when the bill on compulsory anti-seismic surveys was approved, according to figures released by the Statistical Service.
According to the latest figures, 204.445 houses out of 431.059 registered were built before 1994. Between 1991 and 2000, over 70.000 houses were built.
Most houses, just over 50%, were built after 1990 while 3% – about 13.097 houses, were built before 1945. This, a Statistical Service report notes, does not mean they are about to collapse.
The state of dangerous buildings was raised during an event earlier this month, organised by ETEK and KSIA (Association of owners of immovable property). ETEK president Stelios Axniotis said current legislation must be improved, adding that by 2030 the number of dangerous buildings must be reduced.
He said the goal is to have all buildings comply with the technical requirements of European codes relating to earthquakes by 2050. ETEK, he added, would like to see regular checks on all buildings which do not stand on their own, as a pre-emptive measure to ensure the safety of residents and neighbours. This will help the regular maintenance of buildings, he noted.
In Cyprus, legislation was passed in 1999 rendering surveys compulsory, whereas in 2012 European codes were approved. The biggest problem concerns about 30.000 blocks of flats, where the owners disagree about maintenance issues.
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