Short-term rentals in Greece in 2026: what a home needs to be rented legally

If you are thinking of putting your home on Airbnb, the first question is not how much it will earn. It is whether it is allowed and what it takes. Since October 2025 the rules have become stricter, and in central Athens new registrations are frozen. Here is everything, simply, as it stands in November 2026.

1. The registration number (AMA)

Every home rented short term must be entered in the Short-Term Stay Property Registry of the Greek tax authority, AADE. Registration gives you a number, the AMA, which must appear on every listing, on every platform. Without it the listing is not legal and the platform can take it down.

2. Requirements since 1 October 2025

Under Law 5170/2025, every home must meet specific standards. The essentials are:

civil liability insurance covering guests and third parties,
a fire extinguisher and smoke detectors,
a residual-current device and an electrician’s certificate,
air conditioning in the bedrooms, unless the home is above 600 metres, plus natural light and ventilation,
a pest-control certificate,
a first-aid kit and a visible list of emergency numbers.

The fines are steep: €5,000 per breach, €10,000 if it happens again within 12 months, and €20,000 from the third time. AADE can also revoke the registration number.

3. Where there are no new registrations

In the 1st, 2nd and 3rd municipal districts of Athens there are no new registrations until 31 December 2026. This covers neighbourhoods such as Plaka, Kolonaki, Koukaki, Syntagma, Omonia, Monastiraki, Exarchia, Pangrati, Mets, Neos Kosmos, Petralona, Gazi and Metaxourgeio. Since 1 March 2026 the same restriction applies to the 1st municipal community of Thessaloniki.

In September 2026, at the Thessaloniki International Fair, the government announced that the freeze will continue until 31 December 2027. Before you decide, check whether the extension has been published.

Breaking the ban costs 50% of the income, at least €20,000, and up to €40,000 if it happens again in the same tax year. The fine also applies to anyone managing the home on the owner’s behalf. If the home is sold, gifted or inherited, it leaves the registry and must become a long-term let or a residence.

4. VAT and the climate resilience fee

Anyone with three or more homes on short-term rental is treated as a business: they register for VAT and charge 13%. Every night also carries the climate crisis resilience fee: €8 from April to October and €2 from November to March. For detached houses over 80 square metres it is €15 and €4.

5. A checklist before the first booking

Check which district or community the home belongs to.
Register with AADE and get your AMA.
Take out civil liability insurance.
Install the safety equipment and keep the certificates.
Talk to your accountant about income tax and VAT.
Put the AMA on every listing.

If your home is in Greece and you live elsewhere, we can go through the list together and take care of the listing, the bookings and the guests. See how we work.

This article is for information only and is not legal or tax advice. The rules change often: for your own case, talk to an accountant or a lawyer.