In recent years there has been much confusion over the laws governing pools in shared complexes, and to a lesser extent private villas. In July new regulations passed clarifying matters, and this article attempts to summarise them and how they will likely affect you.

We are not legal experts, and for a definitive answer you should always consult a good lawyer.

The official laws can be found here (in Greek) though you can also find an unofficial English translation by Nigel Howarth of Cyprus Property Guide.

If you own, manage, or even just splash about in a pool here in Cyprus, here’s something worth knowing: as of 2025, the Cyprus Swimming Pool Law has been updated. It now directly references a European standard called CYS EN 15288-2:2018. Doesn’t sound thrilling? Maybe not — but it could affect your holiday villa, hotel, or sports centre.

What is CYS EN 15288-2:2018?

It’s a European safety standard that sets out how swimming pools should be operated to keep everyone safe — from lifeguards to little splashers in armbands.

It covers:

• Safety requirements – pool design, equipment, daily operation.
• Risk management – spotting and fixing hazards before accidents happen.
• Staff and user safety – signage, rescue gear, emergency procedures.

The important, yet confusing element, is that there are 3 defined types of pool which must comply with the law.

Pool Categories – Which One’s Yours?

The law now recognises different types of swimming pools. In simple terms:

1. Type 1
   The main purpose of the facility is a public pool — think municipal pools, water parks, gym pools.
2. Type 2
   The pool is secondary to the main purpose of the facility — hotel pools including room swim up pools, school pools, tourist accommodation pools, camp pools etc.
3. Type 3
   All other pools both private and public

BUT there are specific exceptions to Type 3, meaning individual houses or villas with their own pool, and pools shared between a maximum of 5 residential units, not rented out to tourists, are outside the rules.

Now we must point out we are NOT lawyers, just interested citizens who have read the document!

However, we have created an infographic which we hope will help with some of the confusion.

Pink Circle – Type 1 pools

Purple Circle - Type 2 pools

Blue Circle  - Type 3 pools

Yellow Circle – Pools outside the rules

Green Intersect – Where private complexes become Type 3 pools

THE IMPORTANT BIT!

Most of us will not need to know about Type1 and 2 pools and the licensing process for them. However, anyone living on or owning a property on a complex should be aware of the regulations for a Type 3 pool. Here’s the good news: you don’t need an operating licence. No endless paperwork or annual renewal fees. That said, you can’t just quietly fill it up and start doing cannonballs – the law says you still have to tell the local authority before you start using it, and again if you ever close it down for good.

They’ll pop the details into both a paper and digital register (don’t worry – your contact info is protected under the data protection laws). And here’s the deal-breaker: if your pool isn’t up to scratch safety-wise, it’s on the manager to either fix the issues or shut it down. Plus, the authorities can step in and close it themselves if the Public Health Service decides it’s a danger – so it’s worth keeping it clean, safe, and in line with the rules.