Greece Tightens Rules on Short-Term Rentals Amid Housing Crisis

Greece is introducing stricter criteria for short-term rentals arsenic locals conflict to find affordable lodging owed to the enlargement of platforms similar Airbnb. Credit: Greek Reporter

Greece’s short-term rental marketplace is entering a caller signifier with the instauration of stricter regulations for properties listed connected platforms specified arsenic Airbnb.

The updated ineligible model aims to beforehand just competition, amended work standards, and equilibrium lodging availability betwixt tourism and residential needs, addressing pressures from the country’s ongoing lodging crisis.

Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni, who presented the legislation, stated that the rules guarantee wide and just contention wrong the assemblage portion enhancing the prime of tourism services. She emphasized that the model recognizes the relation of short-term rentals successful Greece’s tourism industry, portion besides protecting the interests of hotels and section residents.

What does Greece’s caller short-term rentals scenery look like?

Greece’s short-term rental marketplace is present taxable to stricter oversight and standards nether the caller law. Compliance checks volition beryllium conducted by the Ministry of Tourism and the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE), with penalties aligned with those for accepted tourer accommodations. The AADE has already contacted each registered spot managers holding a Property Registry Number (AMA), and a elaborate registry of method specifications has been issued.

Starting October 1st, properties that are not classified arsenic main-use buildings nether municipality readying rules are being removed from the AADE’s Short-Term Rental Property Registry and volition suffer their registration number. Rental platforms, including Airbnb, volition beryllium notified of non-compliant properties. The authorities estimates that 5 to 10 percent of listings volition instantly exit the marketplace owed to non-compliance.

By the extremity of the year, the authorities volition find which further areas beyond the first 3 Athens districts (1st, 2nd, and 3rd Dimotiko Diamerisma) volition look restrictions connected caller short-term rentals. Policies are besides being considered to promote spot owners to instrumentality units to the semipermanent rental market, aiming to alleviate rising rents for locals.

Under the caller rules, eligible properties indispensable conscionable upgraded minimum information and prime requirements, including:

• Natural lighting, ventilation, and aerial conditioning

• Civil liability insurance

• Electrical information certification

• Fire extinguishers and fume detectors

• Pest power certificates

• First assistance kits

• Clearly displayed exigency interaction information

These measures are intended to heighten information and work quality, portion ensuring short-term rentals coexist reasonably with section residents and the edifice industry.

Still expanding…

Despite the tighter framework, the short-term rental marketplace continues to turn astatine grounds levels successful the country.

According to the Institute of the Greek Tourism Confederation (INSETE), disposable short-term rental listings reached 247,000 successful August 2025, marking a caller historical high. The fig of disposable beds besides rose, exceeding 1.08 million, an summation of 57,000 compared with July 2024.

Foreign visitors accounted for implicit 90 percent of full request during the highest summer months, highlighting Greece’s beardown planetary appeal. Occupancy rates remained high, averaging 58 percent successful August, somewhat beneath the 59 percent recorded a twelvemonth earlier. The mean enactment magnitude successful August accrued to 4.2 nights, continuing an upward inclination since spring.

Greece’s tightening of short-term rental regulations comes amid a deepening lodging crisis, with soaring rents for locals and constricted affordable options successful large cities. The accelerated enlargement of platforms specified arsenic Airbnb has reduced semipermanent rental supply, driving up prices and displacing residents from cardinal neighborhoods.