In a major step to address the country\u2019s housing shortage, Greece is banning thousands of short-term rental properties from platforms like Airbnb by imposing stricter listing rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The new legislation, presented to parliament on January 8<\/strong> by the Greek Ministry of Tourism, prohibits the listing of properties that were originally warehouses, storage rooms, industrial spaces, or old basements<\/strong> converted into tourist accommodations. Additionally, any property not registered as a primary residence under Greek law<\/strong>, or whose owners did not register them as such by July 2011<\/strong>, will also be excluded from short-term rental platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This affects thousands of properties currently available for tourist rentals, impacting property owners who invested in renovations to operate as short-term rentals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The legislation also introduces stricter standards for rental properties<\/strong>, covering lighting, ventilation, certifications, and sanitation requirements. Compliance will be monitored by the Ministry of Tourism and Greece\u2019s tax authorities, with violators facing fines of thousands of euros<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Temporary Ban on New Airbnbs in Central Athens<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n To curb the surge in short-term rentals, Greece has temporarily halted the issuance of Airbnb licenses in several downtown Athens districts for at least one year<\/strong>, starting January 1<\/strong>. The rise of Airbnb-type rentals has been linked to increased housing costs and reduced availability for long-term residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many properties were acquired by Golden Visa holders<\/strong>, who took advantage of the \u20ac250,000 ($270,272) qualifying threshold, often using them for short-term rentals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis<\/strong> announced at the Thessaloniki International Fair 2024<\/strong> plans to incentivize property owners to convert units into long-term rentals. He emphasized the need to control the growth of short-term rentals without demonizing the sector<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, the government has increased the climate crisis resilience fee<\/strong> for hotels, accommodations, and short-term rentals, which applies from April to October. Fees, currently up to \u20ac10 per night<\/strong>, will fund local communities to enhance infrastructure to cope with the summer tourist influx.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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