A new Land Registry report by the Audit Office dated 17 February 2026 identifies long-standing weaknesses, extensive delays and serious risks to public revenue and citizens’ rights within the Department of Lands and Surveys.
The findings outline systemic problems across key areas, including management of state land, unpaid rents, defence requisitions, forced sales, surveying work and boundary disputes.
Unpaid revenue and state land rents
As of 31 December 2024, total unpaid revenue reached €18.5 million, rising by €3 million compared with 2023. Of this amount, €13.6 million, or 74%, relates to rents from state land, while €4.6 million mainly concerns debts owed by municipalities and communities for planning projects.
Annual collection stands at just 67%, with roughly €2.8 million recovered from expected revenue of €4.2 million. The unpaid rent balance equals more than three years of anticipated income.
The report raises particular concern that around 70% of unpaid provincial rents stem from only ten tenants, while referrals to the Law Office occurred after delays lasting several years. The Audit Office warns that failure to act promptly may amount to incompatible state aid to debtors.
Backlog of lease applications
In April 2025, authorities still had 7,769 pending applications to lease state land, some dating back to 1980.
At the Nicosia district land office, the average completion time reaches 98 months, about eight years, despite the Citizen’s Charter setting a target of 12 to 18 months.
The report also notes the absence of a full inventory of available state land and limitations in the Land Information System, which cannot reliably produce consolidated data.
Illegal interventions and long-term cases
By the end of 2024, 1,127 cases of illegal intervention on state land remained unresolved. In several examined cases, delays exceeded 15 years without adequate enforcement measures.
Because recording has not been completed across all free areas of Cyprus, the true number may be even higher. The current system, where private individuals identify state plots and apply for allocation, also raises transparency and equal-treatment concerns.
Defence requisitions and compensation delays
The Land Registry report documents instances where private property was used for defence purposes without a valid requisition order, through repeated extensions instead of expropriation, or without any order issued at all.
File checks in Nicosia showed an average of 97 months to determine compensation, with some cases exceeding 17 years. In extreme situations, compensation payments were delayed by up to 22 years after the initial claim.
Forced sales and boundary disputes
Pending applications for forced sales and sales of undivided property totalled 9,146 at the end of 2024, including cases dating back to 1973.
The average time to auction can exceed 11.5 years, while the absence of an appointed auctioneer between October 2024 and April 2025 effectively froze procedures.
Boundary dispute cases also show lengthy delays, with an average resolution time of 125 months – around ten years – and final decisions sometimes communicated up to 15 years after surveying.
Call for structural reform
In his foreword, the Auditor General stresses that repeatedly noting chronic delays is no longer sufficient. He calls for a fundamental shift in approach, modernised procedures, clear timelines and measurable targets.
According to the report, the Department of Lands and Surveys acknowledges the weaknesses and is examining the Audit Office’s recommendations.
Also read: Three key pillars that boosted Cyprus’ economy in 2025
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