Starting January 1, Greece will halt issuing Airbnb licenses in several districts of downtown Athens as part of new measures to address the housing crisis and increase property tax revenue. A revised tax and rental framework has been introduced, distinguishing between short-term and long-term rentals, with specific requirements for registration, tax obligations, and the offering of additional services. The changes aim to balance the needs of tourism with the shortage of affordable housing for Greek citizens.
Tag: rental regulations
Greece is projected to collect €830 million in tax revenue from short-term rentals by the end of 2024, up from €70 million in 2017, according to Giorgos Pitsilis, head of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue. Speaking at the Prodexpo conference, he noted that 100,000 properties now have unique Property Registry Numbers for short-term leasing. Alexis Patelis, Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister, also announced a one-year ban on new short-term rental registrations in certain areas of central Athens, effective early 2025.
The Greek government is re-evaluating its approach to short-term rentals amid growing concerns over housing availability. Instead of implementing a broad cap on rental days, it is introducing targeted restrictions in highly saturated urban areas, such as central Athens and Thessaloniki. This shift aims to balance short-term and long-term rental ratios locally, based on detailed data down to the postcode level. Additionally, a new tax incentive is being proposed to encourage the conversion of vacant or short-term rental properties into long-term leases, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expected to unveil these plans at the Thessaloniki International Fair.