Cyprus has a land registry system where all immovable property should be registered. A term relates to the property which includes buildings and land, plantations and trees, rivers and all rights that relates to land and buildings.
Cyprus Title Deeds is a document which is also known as Certificates of Registration of Immovable Property. This document performs confirmation of property ownership. Each property is associated with Title Deed that contains information about its owner, the size of the property, location and the Lands' Office reference.
As the legal possession of immovable property is indicated by its Title Deeds, your Contract of Sale should provide for the transfer of ownership and registration of the property in your name and the contract placed for Specific Performance in the District Lands' Office where your property is located.
Is it worth to have Title Deed?
Some expatriates are happy to purchase property without secured ownership, some of them do not want to purchase their deeds due to the large savings. Whet are the advantages and disadvantages of not having Title Deeds?
Advantages:
- You do not have to pay Property Transfer Fees to finalize the purchase and to register property on your name.
Disadvantages:
- Without property ownership you cannot fully enjoy your benefits. You will not be able to sell your property without reference of its registered owner.
- The legal owner of the property may obtain a mortgage on the land where your property was built without your permission, even if you have paid him full amount for it.
- If you have bought a mortgaged property, its legal owner may extend the loan without notification.
- If you do not have title deed, the developers, as the actual owner of the property, may force you to pay additional amount of money explaining it as an immovable property tax.
- Title Deeds confirm that the property was built according to the Planning and Building Permits. Similarly property without title deeds might mean and it was built illegally, so that the authorities may issue a Demolition Order.
- You are not allowed to make any changes to the property without Title Deed holder’s agreement.
- Anyone who wishes to buy your property should be a cash buyer, as banks refuse to grant mortgages on properties without Title Deeds.
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