One in four residential units in Cyprus faces safety risks due to potentially dangerous heating methods, according to recent population census data.
The data have been brought to surface after an apartment fire that killed a family of five in Limassol.
Approximately 130,000 homes, representing 26% of residential units, use various types of heaters that pose high risks for fires or loss of life from toxic fume inhalation, the data showed.
The situation is particularly concerning in 1,386 commercial properties that have been converted into living spaces despite not meeting residential building standards, according to the 2021 census.
The census revealed that 32 out of every 100 residential units, approximately 157,600 properties, have central heating systems, leaving about 335,000 units without proper central heating infrastructure.
About 42% of residential units, roughly 207,000 properties, rely on fireplaces, air conditioning units, or other fixed heating sources.
Data from Eurostat indicated that 1% of Cyprus’s population, approximately 10,000 people out of 966,400 residents in 2023, lack any form of heating method, including basic heaters. This group includes elderly residents who cannot afford heating devices.
The statistics office reported that while the exact number of occupants in the 1,386 converted commercial spaces remains unrecorded, these properties often house multiple residents, predominantly foreign nationals, in subdivided spaces using temporary partitions such as plasterboard and curtains.
Many occupants resort to using any available heating devices, new or used, in spaces that lack proper heating and cooling systems, creating significant safety risks for both themselves and other building occupants.
Read more:
