# Cyprus (CY) — Property Due-Diligence Playbook

**Status**: ✅ fully populated as of 2026-04-26
**Currency**: EUR (RoC, eurozone since 2008)
**Lang**: Greek/Turkish official; English widely used in property/legal

---

## Country profile

Cyprus is a **divided island**: SOUTH = Republic of Cyprus (RoC), EU+eurozone since 2004/2008. NORTH = TRNC (only Turkey recognizes), complex titles for pre-1974 properties. **Focus this playbook on RoC; explicitly flag North title risk for any property anywhere on island.** **CRITICAL**: comprehensive Cyprus Tax Reform took effect **1 January 2026** — many pre-2026 assumptions superseded. **2025 was Cyprus's worst drought year since 1901** (reservoirs at 21.7%); water scarcity is now a transaction-level concern. Russian buyer post-2022 sanctions enforcement is heavy in Limassol. **NPL legacy + "Trapped Buyers" crisis** (Amendment Law 110(I)/2025, gazetted 4 Jul 2025) is the single largest CY-specific DD risk on existing developer-encumbered stock.

---

## Section: `--price`

**Primary index**: **Central Bank of Cyprus — Residential Property Price Index (RPPI)** (quarterly)
- https://www.centralbank.cy/en/publications/residential-property-price-indices

**Q4 2025 (latest, March 2026 release)**:
- Overall index: **+2.3% QoQ** (accelerating from +1.2% Q3)
- **House prices: +7.1% YoY**
- **Apartment prices: +3.0% QoQ**
- "Smashing pre-crisis records" (Cyprus Property News, March 2026)

**Regional apartment indices Q4 2025 (base = 100)**:
- **Limassol: 150.1** (highest — Russian/foreign HNW + tech firms post-2022)
- **Paphos: 126.5** (+97.04% over decade — British/Israeli demand)
- **Nicosia: 99** (+29.24% over decade — slowest, only now near 2010 levels)
- Larnaca / Famagusta-RoC (Paralimni/Ayia Napa): mid-tier

**Other**:
- **RICS Cyprus Property Price Index** — quarterly (separate methodology)
- **CyStat**: https://www.cystat.gov.cy/ — building permits, transactions but NOT a price index

**Listings**:

| Portal | URL | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bazaraki | https://www.bazaraki.com/ | #1 by listing volume (cars+property+jobs) |
| Sale.com.cy | https://www.sale.com.cy/ ❌ DEPRECATED — primary source removed; verify with Department of Lands and Surveys, Cyprus (https://portal.dls.moi.gov.cy/) | Property + cars/general |
| Cyprus Property Pal | https://www.cypruspropertypal.com/ | Dedicated property aggregator |
| RealEstate.com.cy | https://www.realestate.com.cy/ ❌ DEPRECATED — dead on 2026-09-18; verify with the authority named in this row | Premium-positioned |
| DOM | https://dom.com.cy/ | Russian-tinge, popular with CIS buyers |

**Verdict bands**:
- 🟢 within ±10% of CBC RPPI segment for comparable district + condition + view-tier
- 🟡 ±20%
- 🟠 ±30% — investigate: Trapped-buyer pipeline? Pre-1977 unimproved? Limassol Russian-distressed? Wildfire-zone?
- 🔴 >±30% — critical DD before offer

---

## Section: `--traffic`

- **Department of Public Works** road authority
- Real-time via Waze
- OSM Overpass universal

---

## Section: `--tax`

### Property Transfer Fees (DLS) — UNCHANGED by 2026 reform

Applied on assessed market value (DLS valuation, not necessarily contract price), progressive:
- **3%** on first €85,000
- **5%** on €85,001–€170,000
- **8%** above €170,000

**Reductions**:
- **VAT-charged properties (typically new builds): 0% transfer fee** — exempt entirely
- **Resale (no VAT): 50% reduction** → effective **1.5% / 2.5% / 4%**

### Stamp Duty — `2026 REFORM`

- **FULLY ABOLISHED for most documents from 1 January 2026** (Tax Reform 22 Dec 2025)
- **FULLY ABOLISHED for documents executed from 1 Jan 2026** under **Law 239(I)/2025**. Only **judicial / court fees** survive (constitutional authority, unaffected) — **no real-estate-specific exceptions retained**. Documents executed before 1 Jan 2026 still under old regime (€0–€5,000 / 0.15% €5,001–€170,000 / 0.20% above, capped €20,000/agreement — Law 19/1963) (2026-05-27 verified, source: ATCA / KPMG / Harneys / Lexology)
- Documents executed before 1 Jan 2026 still under old regime (€0 / 0.15% / 0.20% tiered)

### Immovable Property Tax (national)
**ABOLISHED 1 January 2017.** Confirmed still abolished as of 2026; not reinstated by 2026 reform.

### Local Immovable Property Tax (municipal/community)
- **Still in force.** Annual, paid to municipality based on 1980 (1/1/1980) value
- ~**€55–€185/year** for residential (est. range, varies by municipality — verify per locality)
- **Sewerage tax** charged separately by sewerage boards (Limassol, Nicosia, Larnaca, Paphos)

### Capital Gains Tax — `2026 REFORM`

- **Rate: 20%** on gains from CY-situs immovable property + shares in CY companies directly owning CY immovable property — UNCHANGED
- **Lifetime general exemption per individual: €30,000** (up from €17,086 — **2026 reform**)
- **Private residence exemption: €150,000** if used as main residence ≥5 years (up from €85,430)
- **Agricultural land (disposed of by a farmer) exemption: €50,000** (was €25,629 — **2026 reform**)
- **Overall lifetime exemption cap: €150,000** (up from €85,430 — **2026 reform**)
- All four uplifts (general / agricultural / principal residence / overall cap) enacted by **Amending Law 242(I)/2025**, Official Gazette No. 5070 of 31 Dec 2025 (2026 data, source Cyprus Tax Department — https://www.gov.cy/mof-tax/documents/kefalaioychika-kerdi/) (2026-08-07 verified; prior secondary cross-checks: Sovereign / Harneys / Chambers&Co / IBCCS Tax / Mondaq)
- Exemption from CGT for property acquired between 16 Jul 2015 and 31 Dec 2016 still applies (one-off historical relief)

### Personal Income Tax — `2026 REFORM`

| Bracket (2026) | Rate |
|---|---|
| €0–€22,000 | 0% (raised from €19,500) |
| €22,001–€32,000 | 20% |
| €32,001–€42,000 | 25% |
| €42,001–€72,000 | 30% |
| €72,001+ | 35% |

### Rental Income — `2026 REFORM`

- **SDC on rental income: ABOLISHED from 1 Jan 2026** as part of the Tax Reform package in force 1 Jan 2026. (Pre-2026: 3% × 75% of gross rent = effective 2.25% for CY tax-resident AND domiciled individuals; non-doms exempt under 17-year regime) (2026-08-07 verified, source: Ministry of Finance / Cyprus Tax Department — enacting amending law not identified by the source consulted; **Law 242(I)/2025 amends the Capital Gains Tax Law and is NOT the SDC instrument**. Verify with the Cyprus Tax Department before citing any law number here)
- **Income tax** (progressive, above) still applies to rental profit (after 20% notional deduction + actual expenses + capital allowances)
- **GHS contribution (GeSY)**: 2.65% on rental income for healthcare system

### VAT on Property — partially `2024 REFORM`

- **Standard 19%** on new-build sales
- **Reduced 5% for primary residence** (Law 42(I)/2023 + Law 55(I)/2024):
  - **5% on first 130 m² up to €350,000**
  - For homes 130–190 m² and €350k–€475k: **proportional 5% on first 130 m² only**
  - Above 190 m² OR above €475k: **standard 19% on entire amount** ← cliff
  - 10-year claw-back if property ceases to be primary residence within 10 years
- **Transitional rule**: properties with planning permits filed before 31 Oct 2023 can use old 200 m² / unlimited-value rule if completed and occupied as primary residence by **31 December 2026** (extended by **Law 109(I)/2026**, gazetted 24 Apr 2026 — extension from prior 30 Jun 2026 deadline) (2026-05-27 verified, source: Michael Kyprianou / Philippou Law)
- Resale (second-hand) properties: NO VAT (transfer fees only)

---

## Section: `--rental`

### STR / Airbnb — Hermes register

**National Register of Self-Service Accommodation** (legacy "Hermes" IT system; now under Min of Tourism — Deputy Ministry restructured into MECI/Tourism portfolio):
- Entry: https://www.gov.cy/tourism/ (redirects to https://www.gov.cy/tourism/)
- **Legal basis**: Law 34(I)/2019 as amended 2020
- **Mandatory registration since 6 Feb 2023** for any self-catering accommodation
- **Fee**: €222, valid 3 years
- **Registration number must be displayed in all advertisements** (Airbnb, Booking, etc.)
- **Penalties**: up to €5,000 + up to 1 year imprisonment for serious safety breaches
- **2025 enforcement crackdown**: ~12,000–13,000 STR units estimated; only 8,375 registered (May 2025); active inspector raids in Limassol/Paphos
- **No general bed-night tax** in RoC (unlike GR, IT). Some municipalities considering — verify per 2026
- **Rental-income taxation**: see `--tax` § Rental Income — **SDC on rental income abolished from 1 Jan 2026** (2026 Tax Reform package; no law number cited — the primary source consulted does not name the SDC amending instrument); income tax + GHS still apply

---

## Section: `--work=<profession>`

Limassol financial-services + tech relocation hub (post-Wirecard/CySEC migration); Nicosia Greek-Cypriot middle-class capital; Paphos British retiree services; Larnaca airport hub.

---

## Section: `--risks`

### Seismic — HIGH for southern coast

- **Tectonics**: Cyprus Arc subduction (African plate under Anatolian) + **Paphos Transform Fault**. Larnaka thrust, Limassol thrust faults documented
- **Hazard map (CBC/ETEK 2020 study)**: PGA for 475-year return **0.3–0.4 g along southern coastline** (Paphos–Limassol–Larnaca arc) — high European hazard
- **Historical M6+**:
  - **11 Jan 2022**: Mw 6.6 west of Paphos (largest in Mediterranean since 2003 Boumerdès)
  - **9 Oct 1996**: Mw 6.5, 45 km SW of Paphos
  - **1222 AD**: M~7.0–7.5, generated tsunami, devastated island
- **Building code**: Cyprus adopts Eurocode 8; pre-1990s stock often non-seismic-coded — critical DD point for older Limassol/Paphos villas
- ETEK seismic risk assessment: https://etek.org.cy/uploads/Blog/2020/67600d021P.pdf

### Flood
- **Pedieos River (Nicosia)** — Basin 10 — highest flood risk basin (38+ historical events since 1960); major events 2010 + 2014 inundated hospitals, schools, intercity roads in northern Nicosia
- **Coastal**: Larnaca Airport, Vasilikos/Dhekelia power stations, Larnaca/Paphos desalination plants in low-lying surge zones
- **Map authority**: **Water Development Department (Τμήμα Αναπτύξεως Υδάτων / WDD)** — the Cyprus competent authority under the Floods Directive 2007/60/EC, publishing flood hazard/risk mapping and the WDD geodata portal ([gov.cy/moa-wdd](https://www.gov.cy/moa-wdd/)). Civil Defence (Πολιτική Άμυνα, [gov.cy/moi/politiki-amyna](https://www.gov.cy/moi/politiki-amyna)) is response/preparedness, not the map publisher (2026 data, source Water Development Department; 2026-09-18 verified)

### Wildfire — CRITICAL & WORSENING

- **2021 Limassol wildfires (3–4 July 2021)**: "Most destructive in Cyprus history." Burned **~55 km² (5,500 ha)** in Larnaca/Limassol foothills (Arakapas/Ora/Odou/Eptagonia/Vavatsinia villages). **4 dead** (Egyptian agricultural workers near Odou), 80+ homes destroyed (2026-05-27 verified, source: Copernicus EMS EMSR515 / Cyprus Mail)
- **2023 Paramytha/Limassol fire (4 Aug 2023)**: 8.8 km² burned, livestock and homes destroyed
- **2023 season**: 83 forest fires up to mid-September, 2,073 hectares affected
- **Implication**: any property within 200 m of pine forest, agricultural fringe, or chaparral on Limassol/Larnaca foothills = HIGH wildfire premium / insurance flag / defensive-space mandatory

### Water Scarcity — UNPRECEDENTED 2025

- **2025: worst drought year since 1901**
- **18 largest reservoirs at 21.7% full** (early 2026); down from 26% Feb 2025
- **Kouris reservoir (largest): 12.2% capacity**; submerged church of St Nicholas re-exposed
- **Limassol peak demand**: 96,000 m³/day — covered partly by 12 mobile UAE desalination units installed at Moni Jun 2025
- **5 permanent desalination plants**: Paphos, Episkopi, Vasilikos, Larnaca, Dhekelia — combined 235,000 m³/day
- **€31M emergency package 2025**
- **Property impact**: New builds in Paphos/Limassol/Famagusta-RoC face increasing connection lead times; rural off-grid wells often dry. Higher water bills (desalinated 3–4× reservoir cost). Cisterns/rainwater harvesting going from optional to standard

### Mandatory diagnostics

- **EPC** — mandatory **since 1 January 2010** for all sales/lets/transfers. A–H scale. 10-year validity. Issued by Qualified Experts (MECI/BFU). Display class in advertisements
  - Authority: https://bfu.meci.gov.cy/en/energy-performance-certificates/
  - Practitioner directory: https://www.epc.cy/
- **Asbestos**: regulated under EU Directive 2009/148/EC. Pre-1985 buildings likely contain asbestos. **No specific CY mandatory asbestos register/diagnostic for residential sales**. Demolition/major renovation triggers DLI notification + licensed remover. **Buyer DD: visual + sample-test if pre-1985 build**
- **Planning permit verification — CRITICAL CY-SPECIFIC RISK**:
  - **"Trapped Buyers" crisis**: ~10,000–15,000 buyers paid in full but never received title deeds (developer mortgages, planning violations, missing roads/infrastructure)
  - **Transfer and Mortgage of Immovable Property (Amendment) Law 110(I)/2025** (gazetted 4 Jul 2025, Official Gazette Αρ. 5045): rebuilds the Part VIB trapped-buyer transfer route struck down in Civil Appeal 285/2018 (20 Jun 2024) — covers sale contracts deposited at the District Lands Office by 31 Dec 2014 (or concluded by then and deposited under a court order applied for by 31 Dec 2024) where a separate title deed exists; the prior mortgagee's written consent is now required, or (price fully paid) a court order on an application filed within 45 days of refusal finding the refusal abusive and unjustified; applications pending before the law proceed only if the title deed issues within 2 years 8 months of commencement ([Law 110(I)/2025 text](http://www.cylaw.org/nomoi/arith/2025_1_110.pdf)) (2025 data, source Official Gazette of the Republic of Cyprus)
  - **Many properties still cannot be regularized** — buyer must verify (a) building permit issued, (b) Final Approval / Certificate of Final Approval issued, (c) Title Deed issued in seller's name (not just developer's), (d) no encumbrances on title
  - **DD checklist**: lawyer obtains certified title search (DLS), planning permit search (Town Planning Department), municipality searches (sewerage tax, IPT arrears)
- **Structural survey** (RICS-affiliated chartered surveyor): non-mandatory but strongly advised, especially older + earthquake zones

---

## Section: `--mains`

### Cadastre / Land Registry — DLS

**Department of Lands and Surveys** (under Min of Interior):
- **Main portal**: https://portal.dls.moi.gov.cy/ — fully accessible to foreigners
- **Geoportal / interactive cadastral map**: https://eservices.dls.moi.gov.cy/#/national/geoportalmapviewer — Cloudflare-challenged, browser only
- **Geospatial Information Portal**: https://www.geoportal.gov.cy/MOI/DLS/geoportal/geoportal.nsf/index_en/index_en — Lotus Domino legacy
- **Search method**: by district → municipality/community → registration block (sheet/plan) → registration number (e.g., "Plot 0/123 Sheet/Plan 51/12.W.2"). **Full title search (encumbrances, mortgages, prohibitions) requires "interested person" status + fee**. Lawyer can request on buyer's behalf

### Utilities

- **Electricity**: **EAC (Electricity Authority of Cyprus)** — vertically integrated near-monopoly. https://www.eac.com.cy/. Liberalization underway since 2014, full retail open being implemented
- **Water**: Four district **Water Boards** + WDD (under MoA, redirected to https://www.gov.cy/moa/):
  - **Limassol Water Board** (heaviest desal dependency)
  - **Nicosia Water Board**
  - **Larnaca Water Board**
  - **Paphos Water Board** (heaviest desal dependency)
  - **Famagusta-RoC** (Paralimni/Ayia Napa) — Sewerage Board of Paralimni-Ayia Napa
- **Drought management**: Stage 2 water-saving active 2024-2026 in most municipalities — restrictions on garden irrigation, swimming-pool refilling
- **Sewerage**: separate sewerage boards (Limassol, Nicosia, Larnaca, Paphos) — annual sewerage tax billed
- **Telecom**: CYTA (incumbent), PrimeTel, Epic, Cablenet
- **Solar/PV**: Cyprus has highest-in-EU solar irradiance; net-metering / net-billing schemes — viable rooftop PV economics

---

## Section: `--crime`

See `shared/crime-sources.md`. Cyprus uses:
- **Cyprus Police**: https://www.police.gov.cy/police/police.nsf/cyens.aspx
- CyStat criminality data

---

## Section: `--amenities`

Universal — see `shared/amenities-osm.md`.

---

## Section: `--climate`

Universal — see `shared/climate-projections.md`. Critical for CY: water scarcity is a top-line climate-impact metric here, on top of standard projections.

---

## Cost benchmarks (Apr 2026)

| Item | Range / typical |
|---|---|
| Limassol apartment €/m² | premium ~€4,000–€8,000+ est. (Russian/HNW segment — cross-check current listings) |
| Paphos €/m² | ~€2,000–€4,000 est. (British/Israeli mid-tier — cross-check current listings) |
| Nicosia €/m² | ~€1,500–€2,500 est. (slowest growth — cross-check current listings) |
| Transfer fees (resale) | 1.5/2.5/4% effective |
| Transfer fees (VAT new) | 0% |
| VAT new (primary, qualifying) | 5% on first 130 m²/€350k |
| VAT new (non-qualifying) | 19% |
| Total acquisition costs | ~5–10% |

---

## Active fiscal incentives (Apr 2026)

- **2026 Tax Reform**: stamp duty abolished, CGT exemptions raised (€30k general, €50k agricultural land disposed of by a farmer, €150k primary residence, €150k overall lifetime cap — Amending Law 242(I)/2025), SDC rental abolished, PIT 0% threshold raised to €22k
- **5% reduced VAT primary residence** (130 m² / €350k cap) — 31 Dec 2026 transitional completion deadline for older permits (extended by Law 109(I)/2026)
- **Trapped Buyers reform** (Amendment Law 110(I)/2025) — title-deed pathway for eligible historic-developer-encumbered properties

---

## Foreign-buyer rules

- **EU/EEA/Swiss**: no restrictions since 1 May 2009
- **Non-EU citizens** (incl. UK post-Brexit, Russians, Israelis, Lebanese, etc.): **Council of Ministers permit required** under Acquisition of Immovable Property (Aliens) Law, Cap. 109
  - Limit: **2 units per natural person**, in different developments (e.g., 2 residential, OR 1 residential + 1 shop ≤100 m², OR 1 residential + 1 office ≤250 m²)
  - **OR plot of land ≤4,014 m² for owner-occupied residence construction**
  - Application by lawyer to Council of Ministers; processing 2–3 months for clean files
  - Permit normally granted; refusals rare except for sanctions, criminal record, or restricted military zones
- **Russian buyers post-2022**: subject to EU sanctions Reg. 833/2014 (Art. 5h, expanded 23 Sep 2025 via CySEC C728); OFAC secondary; banks require enhanced CDD; many CY banks no longer onboard Russian-passport new clients regardless of residency. Limassol-registered shell companies actively de-listed (Tokentrust Holdings Mar 2024). **HIGH RED FLAG** requiring senior MLRO sign-off; expect 4–8 month banking/conveyancing timeline

---

## Country-specific quirks

### TRNC vs RoC — North Title Risk (CRITICAL)

- **Pre-1974 Greek-Cypriot-owned land in TRNC**: ECtHR Loizidou v. Turkey (1996) + Cyprus v. Turkey (2001) ruled **Greek-Cypriot owners retain full legal title**; Turkey held responsible for property rights violations
- **TRNC Immovable Property Commission (IPC)**: semi-judicial body since 2006; ECtHR-recognized as "domestic remedy" but **does not extinguish original Greek-Cypriot title**
- **TRNC titles ("kocan")** — three categories:
  - **Pre-74 Turkish** (safest, originated before 1974)
  - **TMD/Exchange** (allocated to Turkish-Cypriot displaced from south, contested)
  - **Foreign** (granted post-74, highest legal exposure)
- **Buyer in TRNC at risk of**: (a) civil claim by Greek-Cypriot owner in RoC courts (enforceable in EU under Brussels Recast — Apostolides v. Orams 2009 ECJ), (b) inability to sell to EU buyer, (c) reunification scenario revisits all post-74 transfers
- **DO NOT BUY IN TRNC** unless title is Pre-74 Turkish-Cypriot AND lawyer (RoC-qualified, not just TRNC) has cleared the chain. **Preferably avoid TRNC entirely for due-diligence-grade buyers**

### Buffer Zone (UN Buffer / Green Line)
UN-administered, ~180 km long, 3.5–7.4 km wide. Property within or immediately adjacent has restricted access, no resale market.

### British Sovereign Base Areas (Akrotiri & Dhekelia)
- **British Overseas Territory** (Akrotiri SBA near Limassol; Dhekelia SBA near Larnaca). Total ~254 km²
- Civilian residents (mostly Cypriot) — property regime mostly mirrors RoC but governed by SBA Administration; SBA courts; SBA Customs
- **SBA Land Registry separate from DLS RoC**

### Famagusta / Varosha
- **Varosha** (Famagusta beach district) — ghost-town since 1974; partial reopening announced October 2020 by TRNC, condemned by RoC + UN. **Properties remain titled to pre-74 Greek-Cypriot owners**

### Regional ethno-economic tinge
- **Limassol**: Russian/CIS HNW ("Limassolgrad"); growing post-2022 due to "good Russian" relocations; tech/forex/fintech (post-Wirecard/CySEC migration)
- **Paphos**: British retiree concentration; Israeli buyers growing 2022+
- **Nicosia**: Greek-Cypriot middle class; least foreign-buyer presence; lowest price growth
- **Larnaca**: mixed; airport hub; lowest entry prices on coast

### Pre-1974 deeds in RoC
Some properties in RoC have pre-1974 Turkish-Cypriot owners (now under "Custodian for Turkish-Cypriot Properties"). Cannot be freely sold; rented out by State. **Buyer DD: confirm seller is not "Custodian-administered"**.

---

## Verification authorities

| Item | Authority | URL |
|---|---|---|
| Cadastre / DLS | Min of Interior | https://portal.dls.moi.gov.cy/ |
| Cadastral map viewer | DLS | https://eservices.dls.moi.gov.cy/#/national/geoportalmapviewer |
| Central Bank | CBC | https://www.centralbank.cy/ |
| Statistics | CyStat | https://www.cystat.gov.cy/ |
| Min Tourism | gov.cy | https://www.gov.cy/tourism/ |
| Min Agriculture (water) | gov.cy/moa | https://www.gov.cy/moa/ |
| Min Finance | gov.cy/mof | https://www.gov.cy/mof/ |
| MECI (Energy/Commerce/Industry) | gov.cy/meci | https://www.gov.cy/meci/ |
| EAC electricity | EAC | https://www.eac.com.cy/ |
| EPC authority (BFU) | MECI | https://bfu.meci.gov.cy/en/energy-performance-certificates/ |
| WDD flood hazard mapping (Floods Directive 2007/60/EC) | gov | https://www.gov.cy/moa-wdd/ |
| KEDIPES (state asset manager) | KEDIPES | https://kedipes.com.cy/ |

---

## Source URL templates

| Field | Template |
|---|---|
| RPPI | https://www.centralbank.cy/en/publications/residential-property-price-indices |
| Hermes STR | https://www.gov.cy/tourism/ |
| EPC certificate | https://bfu.meci.gov.cy/en/energy-performance-certificates/ |
| 2026 tax reform | https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/cyprus/individual/other-taxes |
| CGT exemptions (primary) | https://www.gov.cy/mof-tax/documents/kefalaioychika-kerdi/ |
| ECtHR Loizidou ref | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loizidou_v._Turkey |
| 2022 Paphos M6.6 quake | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Cyprus_earthquake |
| 2021 Limassol wildfires | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Limassol_wildfires |

---

## Status

**Confidence**: HIGH on 2026 Tax Reform (CGT exemption uplifts + SDC-on-rental abolition verified 2026-08-07 against the primary Cyprus Tax Department / Ministry of Finance source; PwC/KPMG/Sovereign retained as cross-checks), Hermes STR registration mandatory since 6 Feb 2023, 2021 Limassol wildfires (4 dead, ~55 km² / 5,500 ha, major DD anchor for foothill properties), 2025 worst-drought-since-1901 + reservoir levels, Russian-buyer post-2022 sanctions enforcement (CySEC C728 expanded 23 Sep 2025). MEDIUM on per-municipality local IPT (verify per locality), SDA-equivalent (no formal CY SDA list — different from MT), no real-estate-specific stamp-duty exceptions retained from the 2026 abolition — only judicial / court fees survive (verify per transaction). LOW on TRNC IPC application data + reunification negotiations (politically dynamic — snapshot only).

**Last verified**: 2026-08-07 (scope: `--tax` CGT exemptions + SDC-on-rental abolition only, against the Cyprus Tax Department / Ministry of Finance primary source; the rest of the playbook stands as of its 2026-04-26 population and 2026-05-27 checks; flood-map authority (Water Development Department) corrected 2026-09-18 per gov.cy/moa-wdd). Ownership / tax tracker entries re-checked 2026-09-24 (October and November regwatch waves, the November wave run early; see shared/regulatory-watch.md).

**Update history**:
- 2026-04-26: full population (Batch 3 of skill expansion)
- 2026-08-07: `--tax` CGT block re-verified against the primary Cyprus Tax Department source — overall lifetime exemption cap €85,430 → €150,000 added (was missing), agricultural-land exemption scoped to disposal by a farmer, Amending Law 242(I)/2025 (Gazette 31 Dec 2025) cited for the CGT uplifts only; SDC-on-rental abolition re-stamped with no law number, the source consulted naming no SDC amending instrument

---

## Extension TODOs

- Trapped Buyers / Amendment Law 110(I)/2025 case-eligibility checker
- Limassol wildfire-zone overlay for foothill properties (200 m buffer rule)
- Reservoir-level real-time integration for water-supply-stressed transactions
- TRNC title category classifier (Pre-74 Turkish vs TMD/Exchange vs Foreign) for any North-of-Green-Line listings