By Bejay Browne.
Paphos municipality is clamping down on shop owners that are illegally converting premises and renting them to foreigners as sub-standard accommodation. Owners have been granted one month to ensure tenants vacate the properties.
The municipality issued a public announcement, warning owners that enforcement notices and any necessary legal action will be taken against them if they fail to comply.
Following a meeting of the local mayors with the minister of interior, it was found that lately, serious dysfunction in towns were being caused by the actions of a significant number of shop owners who make these types of illegal conversions and rent them to foreigners as accommodation, the announcement said.
“Such an action is blatantly illegal and it is done without the required change of use licenses, and poses serious risks to public health and safety, as the conversions are made with cheap materials and the living and hygiene conditions of foreigners are unacceptable to dangerous,” they said.
The Paphos municipality is warning the owners of these shops that the conversions are illegal and will proceed with a enforcement notice and/or any other legal measure against them. It also calls on landlords to make sure they alert tenants to leave illegally-rented premises within a month.
