Cyprus considers transferring Turkish Cypriot holiday homes to heirs

During a meeting of the House Refugees Committee on September 29, 2026, officials addressed the growing pressure from beneficiaries to allow the transfer of Turkish Cypriot properties, used as holiday homes for decades, to their heirs. Anthi Lakkotrypi, head of the Turkish Cypriot Properties Management Service, noted that this is the most frequent request received by her office.

The administration is currently considering proposals to grant the first generation of heirs the right to use these properties to compensate for maintenance costs incurred by the original beneficiaries. To qualify, heirs must provide evidence of financial expenditures on property upkeep. Additionally, authorities are evaluating a plan to allow children of beneficiaries to use the houses for permanent residency. In such cases, the assignment would be classified as state housing assistance, rendering the heir ineligible for any other forms of government housing support, with no rent obligations.

Lakkotrypi clarified that the government did not originally anticipate the long-term usage of these homes as holiday residences. Properties that have fallen into a state of ruin and have not been maintained will be reclaimed by the state. Similar discussions regarding the potential transfer of business premises to heirs are also underway.