Sidewalks are public spaces and are built, rebuilt, repaired, and maintained to ensure continuous, autonomous, safe, and unobstructed movement of pedestrians across their entire surface and their use by persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility, as permitted by the morphology of the terrain.

The law distinguishes between the causes that created the liability. In cases where the cause of damage to the sidewalk is an event beyond the municipality’s sphere of responsibility, the adjacent property owner is responsible for repairing the sidewalk and other technical works that comprise it (kerb, gutter, substrate and surface or covering).

In the event of destruction, disuse, and excavation by the State or the relevant Local Government Organization (LGO) of sidewalks that have been in existence for at least twenty years, as part of a general reconstruction or redevelopment of roads and squares to better meet the needs of the settlement, the cost of restoring, repairing, or reconstructing the sidewalks shall be borne by the adjacent owners.

However, if the damage to the sidewalk was caused by a previous dangerous action by other entities, e.g., the municipality through its competent bodies or other entities such as EYDAP, DEYAM, DEDDIE, Natural Gas, etc., which carried out work to repair damage to underground pipes beneath the sidewalks, then the responsibility for repair lies with the executing body (municipality or other bodies) as their intervention created a hazard and they are obliged to “repair” the damage they caused, unless the works were carried out exclusively for the benefit of the adjacent property, in which case the owner is solely liable.

It is generally accepted that the responsibility for the construction, reconstruction, and repair of sidewalks lies with the adjacent property owners. Therefore, if sidewalk slabs are broken due to external causes (weather conditions, third-party intervention such as parking on top of them and causing damage, transport works, wear and tear, tree roots, etc.), then the owner of the adjacent property is liable.

In this case, the municipality undertakes the construction, reconstruction, or repair of the sidewalks and then certifies the expense to the municipal fund, either at the expense of the owners of the adjacent properties (depending on who they are) or the project contractors (DEDDIE, COSMOTE, etc.), provided that these have not yet been constructed or repaired or that the specifications applicable to their construction or repair have not been complied with.

Sidewalks are constructed in accordance with specifications set out in a municipal regulatory decision. The decision specifies the dimensions, type of construction, and type of materials used for curbs, gutters, and their surfacing or covering. It also specifies the type of planting, the dimensions, and other details of the sections of sidewalks available for planting (e.g., flower beds).

In settlements that have been designated as traditional, the above decision is issued with the consent of the competent Architectural Council (SA).

Attention! The municipality is obliged to comply with the dimensions and enforce a Free Pedestrian Zone for continuous, safe, and unobstructed traffic in accordance with the provisions of Urban Planning Legislation. Any other installation (e.g., signage, planting, planters, etc.) must be placed outside the FREE ZONE. If the sidewalk is less than 1.50 meters wide, the pedestrian zone occupies the entire sidewalk.

In any case, the specifications set out in the provisions of the NOK for persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility, as well as the relevant decisions in force, in particular those under reference numbers YPEN/DMEAP/124964/ 1561/7.12.2022 (B’ 6213)..

It is not permitted to construct steps leading down to the building on sidewalks for the purpose of serving the building, but such steps must begin one (1) meter inside the street line or the building line in the case of a front garden that is a continuation of the sidewalk and is used by the public.

In any case, even old existing staircases or stair treads that contravene the provisions of the building regulations and are dangerous in terms of traffic are recorded as unauthorized. The risk is eliminated by applying the provisions on “dangerous buildings” by the competent Urban Planning Service.

The longitudinal slope of sidewalks must not exceed 12%. To avoid greater slopes, steps with a maximum height of 0.15 m are constructed at appropriate locations across the entire width of the sidewalk.

The owner or contractor must submit an application to the municipality’s Finance Department, where they will obtain a permit to occupy the sidewalk. Those responsible for the project are required to take all necessary measures to prevent accidents. A monthly fee is paid to the municipality for the occupation, based on zones and square meters.

A municipal regulatory decision determines the sidewalks on which health-related businesses are permitted to set up a specific number of tables and chairs.

In any case, there should be harmonious coexistence between residents and businesses, as well as ensuring safe passage for pedestrians and people with disabilities (PWD) with a minimum width of 1.50 meters.

No permanent structures are permitted in the shared space, such as pillars, floors, seats, planters, dividers between adjacent stores, etc.