Snagging in Cyprus: off-plan buyers and the contract of sale
Cyprus has a busy off-plan market and many international buyers. Unlike some countries, there is no single statutory warranty that covers every defect in a new home — your protection depends mostly on the contract you sign, and on the evidence you collect.
Get it into the contract
The reservation agreement is usually thin on protection; the contract of sale is what counts. Before you sign, ask your lawyer to make sure it covers:
- The handover procedure and your right to an independent inspection.
- How long you have to report defects, and how quickly the developer must fix them.
- A retention or bank guarantee until the snag list is cleared.
- Plans and a specification detailed enough to measure defects against.
- When common expenses and utilities become your responsibility.
Unfair terms in property contracts can be challenged — the Consumer Protection Service has fined developers over them — but it is far easier to fix a clause before signing.
Snag at handover
Have the property inspected independently before you accept it and pay the final instalment. A numbered, photographed list tied to the floor plan is hard to dismiss, and it fixes the condition of the property on the day you took it over.
If the developer does not come back
Follow up in writing, with dates. Buyers who act quickly and with proper technical evidence are in a much stronger position than those who rely on verbal promises for months. If it comes to a dispute, your dated list and photos are the evidence a lawyer will want first.
This is a general guide, not legal advice. Periods and rules change, and your own contract can add to them — check it, and take professional advice before relying on a deadline.