Renting your Greek home to holidaymakers can be a reliable way to make the most of an overseas property – but the rules for doing it properly are tighter than they once were.
Renting out property in Greece is part of the plan for many overseas buyers from day one: spend a few weeks there each summer, let the home to holidaymakers for the rest of the year, and use the income to help cover running costs while the property isn’t standing empty. It’s a sensible approach, and plenty of owners do it successfully.
But renting out property in Greece now comes with more rules than simply listing it online. Registration, safety standards and tax have all tightened in the past two years, and first-time registrations are currently frozen in parts of central Athens and Thessaloniki. Getting set up correctly from the start will save you a great deal of difficulty later.
Renting out property in Greece means registering with the Greek tax authority for a Property Registration Number (AMA), meeting mandatory safety standards and declaring the income in both Greece and the UK. It applies to any overseas owner letting short-term, though first-time registrations are currently frozen in parts of central Athens and Thessaloniki. Tax, safety and insurance rules all apply from your first booking.
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Contents
Why Greece tightened the property rental rules
It helps to understand the context. Short-term rental platforms grew rapidly in Greece over the past decade, with the Cyclades, Crete and the Ionian islands seeing the sharpest increases in listings and available beds. In cities and popular areas, long-term rents rose by up to 20% in two years as homes were pulled out of the residential market and into tourism.
The government’s response has been gradual but consistent. New rules introduced in 2024 drew a clearer line between casual landlords and those running what amounts to a commercial letting operation. Owners renting out one or two properties are required to collect a Climate Crisis Resilience Fee from guests and remit it monthly to the tax authority – €8 per night in high season (April to October) and €2 per night in low season (November to March), rising to €15 and €4 respectively for detached houses over 80 square metres. Those renting out three or more properties are classified as running a business – they pay 13% VAT and are taxed under business activity rates. Stays of more than 60 days can no longer be booked through short-term rental platforms and are treated as long-term rentals instead.
New registrations have been frozen in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Municipal Districts of central Athens – covering Plaka, Kolonaki, Koukaki, Syntagma and Exarchia among others – until at least 31 December 2026. Existing AMA holders in those districts can continue operating; only first-time registrations are blocked.
Under Law 5313/2026, an equivalent freeze now applies to Thessaloniki‘s 1st Municipal Community – the historic and commercial centre around Aristotelous Square, Ladadika and the Egnatia–Tsimiski axis – from 1 July to 31 December 2026. As in Athens, only first-time registrations are affected and existing AMA holders can keep operating. Letting an ineligible property in either frozen zone carries a fine of at least €20,000, rising to €40,000 for a repeat breach in the same tax year.
The same law introduced a rule that matters for buyers. If a property in either frozen zone changes hands during the owner’s lifetime – through a sale, gift or other transfer – its AMA is deleted from the registry and cannot be renewed until the freeze ends. Properties passed on through inheritance are exempt. In practice, an existing Airbnb-style licence does not automatically pass to a new owner in these areas, so it’s worth confirming a property’s registration status with a local lawyer before you commit, rather than assuming any advertised rental income will continue after completion.
Discussions are also under way about similar restrictions for Santorini, Mykonos, Paros and Chania, as part of Greece’s new Special Spatial Planning Framework for Tourism published in August 2026 – though these remain proposals rather than registration freezes currently in force.
What you need to have in place
1. Register with the Greek tax authority
The old EOT licence system – where you applied to the Greek National Tourism Organisation before renting out your property – has been replaced. You now register directly with the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE), Greece’s tax authority, and obtain an AMA (Aristmos Mitroo Akiniton, or Property Registration Number). Without an AMA, you cannot legally list your property on Airbnb, Booking.com or any other short-term rental platform. Fines for operating without one can reach €5,000.
The registration process involves submitting details about the property through the myAADE online portal. You’ll need a Greek tax identification number (AFM) – something you’ll have obtained when buying the property. Your lawyer or accountant can guide you through the registration if you’re not confident navigating it yourself.
2. Meet the safety and quality standards
All short-term rental properties in Greece are required to comply with mandatory safety and quality standards under Law 5170/2025. These apply to newly registered properties and those already operating with an AMA.
The requirements include:
- Civil liability insurance from a licensed Greek insurer, covering damages or accidents during a guest’s stay
- A valid electrical safety certificate from a licensed electrician
- Smoke detectors in every bedroom and the kitchen
- At least one fire extinguisher per 100 square metres of floor space
- Emergency lighting and clearly marked exit signs
- A first aid kit, labelled in both Greek and English
- A pest control certificate
Properties that don’t meet basic habitability standards – basements without natural light, garages, storage rooms – cannot be registered as short-term rentals. Inspections are conducted jointly by the Ministry of Tourism and the tax authority, and fines for non-compliance range from €5,000 to €20,000.
If you’re buying a property with a view to short-term letting, factor in the cost of meeting these standards from the outset. They are not optional.
3. Understand how your rental income will be taxed in Greece
Greek rental income tax is charged on a progressive scale:
- 15% on annual rental income up to €12,000
- 25% on income between €12,001 and €24,000
- 35% on income between €24,001 and €36,000
- 45% on income above €36,000
How you’re taxed also depends on how many properties you let. If you rent out one or two properties without providing services beyond bed linen, your income is treated as rental income and taxed on the scale above. Those renting out three or more properties have their income classified as business activity and pay 13% VAT, taxed under business activity rates rather than as an individual landlord. If you additionally provide hotel-style services such as daily cleaning or breakfast, the property is reclassified as tourist accommodation entirely, which requires a separate licence.
The Greek tax year runs from 1 January to 31 December, and annual returns must be filed by 30 June. All residential rental payments must be made via bank transfer – cash payments don’t qualify for a 5% tax discount on declared income.
There’s also a useful incentive worth knowing about for owners considering a longer-term approach. If you commit to renting your property on a long-term lease for three years or more, you may be eligible for a three-year income tax exemption on that rental income – provided the property is no larger than 120 square metres and the lease is properly registered.
4. Declare the income to HMRC
This is one that catches some British owners off guard. Under UK law, British residents are liable for UK tax on income earned anywhere in the world – including rent from a Greek property.
You’ll need to declare your Greek rental income on your UK self-assessment return. The good news is that Greece and the UK have a double taxation treaty, which means you won’t pay tax twice on the same income. Any Greek tax you’ve already paid can generally be offset against your UK liability. But you do need to declare it, and the rules around how that offset works can be complex. An accountant with experience of both Greek and UK tax obligations is strongly recommended.
There’s also the practical question of moving the income itself. Exchange rates can shift the value of rental income by a meaningful amount over a year, so many owners use a currency specialist rather than a standard bank transfer when bringing income back to the UK.
5. Make sure you have the right insurance in place
Civil liability insurance is a legal requirement for short-term rentals in Greece – but it’s worth thinking more broadly about the cover you’ll need as a landlord.
A standard home insurance policy is unlikely to cover commercial rental activity. You’ll want a policy that covers:
- Accidental damage caused by guests
- Theft or loss during a rental period
- Third-party liability for injury or illness to guests or visitors
- Loss of rental income if the property becomes uninhabitable
Your Greek insurance broker can advise on the right level of cover. If you’re managing the property remotely – which most British owners do – a property management company can also help ensure the property is well maintained between lets and that any issues are dealt with promptly.
Renting out a Greek property is a viable and often rewarding way to make the most of an overseas home. The compliance requirements are more involved than they once were, but they’re manageable with the right professional support in place. The key is to set everything up correctly from the outset – registration, safety standards, insurance and tax obligations – rather than trying to retrofit compliance after you’ve already started taking bookings.
If you’re also weighing up the golden visa route, bear in mind that properties purchased under that scheme cannot be let short-term. For a helping hand finding a Greek property with rental potential, speak to one of our experts today.
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FAQs about renting out property in Greece
Rental income is taxed on a progressive scale: 15% on annual income up to €12,000, 25% on €12,001-€24,000, 35% on €24,001-€36,000 and 45% above that. If you rent out three or more properties or provide hotel-style services, the income is treated as business activity and 13% VAT applies.
It’s not a Greek regulation – it’s a rule of thumb that notary fees and legal fees each run at roughly 2% of the property price, useful for budgeting on top of the 3.09% transfer tax.
Since 2024, owners must register with the Greek tax authority and obtain a Property Registration Number before listing on any platform, and from October 2025 all short-term rentals must meet mandatory safety standards covering insurance, fire safety and electrical certification. Since July 2026, first-time registrations have also been frozen in parts of central Athens and Thessaloniki. Properties purchased under the golden visa scheme cannot be let short-term at all.
Not currently. First-time AMA registrations are frozen in central Athens (1st, 2nd and 3rd Municipal Districts) until at least 31 December 2026, and in Thessaloniki’s 1st Municipal Community from 1 July to 31 December 2026. Existing registrations remain valid, but if a property in either area is sold or gifted, its AMA is cancelled and cannot be renewed until the freeze ends.
