The latest tragedy in Limassol — the collapse of a residential building that claimed two lives — should prompt more than just concern about structural safety and building standards. It also brings another, equally serious issue into sharp focus: rent.
And it is not just the level of rents, which in some cases has become outright absurd. It is also the exploitation that, all too often, sits behind them. If reports are accurate — that the three tenants of the fatal flat were paying €1,300 in total (around €450 each) to live in what turned out to be a death trap, under the pretext of renovations that never happened — then the issue is far more serious than it first appears.
At that point, this is no longer just a housing problem. It becomes a question of oversight and accountability. Because profit cannot — and must not — come before people’s safety and lives.
E!
