Newsroom
Buying or renting an apartment should come with a few basic assurances: a safe building, reliable utilities, and shared spaces that do not pose a health risk.
At one apartment complex in Larnaca, complaints about those basics have brought police, municipal officials, and district authorities to the site, with a police spokesperson describing the situation as “chaos.”
Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency after the management committee publicized the problems, Larnaca police spokesperson Spyros Chrysostomou said police receive complaints from the committee and individual apartment owners, including allegations of tampering with water and electricity meters.
A recent joint visit by police, the Larnaca District Local Government Organization, known as EOA, and Larnaca Municipality identified serious hygiene problems and other troubling conditions, he said. Police have also visited with the Electricity Authority of Cyprus.
Chrysostomou called for a comprehensive solution to bring the situation under control.
Safety concerns and a fatal incident
Police have also carried out operations concerning people suspected of residing illegally in the Republic. Chrysostomou referred to an operation during which three people jumped from the third floor. One suffered a serious head injury and died.
Separately, EOA president Angelos Hadjicharalambous said the organization had taken steps within its responsibilities to address dangerous-building issues at the complex.
The management committee has assigned the necessary work to a private engineer, he said. EOA is in contact with the committee and awaiting updates on the measures intended to remove the danger.
Fresh checks on water supplies
Hadjicharalambous said previous operations had identified and addressed unauthorized water connections, but the problem appears to be continuing.
A fresh inspection is needed to establish whether residents are diverting water and to address any violations, he said. Crews will also check for leaks and determine their source.
His initial assessment was that private individuals were responsible for the suspected unauthorized connections. Any suspected wrongdoing should be reported to police, he added.
Several authorities, one unresolved problem
Other concerns include alleged unauthorized occupation or rental of apartments, possible overcrowding, nuisance, and disputes over access.
Hadjicharalambous stressed that these issues fall across several authorities. EOA alone cannot resolve complaints involving electricity theft, apartment occupation, or access restrictions.
He called on police, the Land Registry, the municipality, and other relevant bodies to act together, each within its responsibilities, to deliver a lasting solution.
For apartment owners and residents, that coordination is the crucial part. Repairing a building will not resolve suspected meter tampering, just as a police investigation will not remove a structural hazard.
The challenge now is to turn the inspections and complaints into action that makes the complex safe and livable—and stops the same problems from returning.
