What changed for short-term rentals in Greece in 2026

2026 brought a set of changes for short-term rental hosts in Greece. Some are about tax. Some are about where you are allowed to register a new property at all.

This page lists them in the order they took effect, with the dates. At the end there are two deadlines that fall before the end of the year.

A new tax band, from 1 January

The scale for property income gained a new band. Income between €12,000 and €24,000 is now taxed at 25%. Before, everything above €12,000 was taxed at 35%.

The change was made by Law 5246/2025 and applies to income earned from 1 January 2026. That means you will first see it in the return you file in 2027. The return you filed this year still used the old scale.

Thessaloniki closed to new registrations, from 1 March

Since 1 March 2026 no new short-term rental registrations are accepted in the First Municipal Community of Thessaloniki.

The area runs from Aristotelous Square along Egnatia and Tsimiski, and covers the commercial centre and the historic market, Ladadika, the port area, the seafront up to the White Tower, and the streets up to the edge of the Upper Town.

Properties already registered there keep their registration. The block is on new ones.

Athens is still closed

Athens closed to new registrations in 2025, in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd municipal districts. Nothing changed in 2026 — the block is still in place.

The areas include Plaka, Monastiraki, Syntagma, Omonia, Kolonaki, Exarcheia, Ilisia and Koukaki; Mets and Neos Kosmos; and Petralona, Thiseio, Gazi, Botanikos, Metaxourgeio and Rouf.

A registry number no longer passes with the property

Inside the restricted areas, a registration is now deleted when the property changes hands. This applies to a sale, a parental gift, a donation and an inheritance.

The new owner cannot register it again for short-term rental. The property has to be let long-term or lived in.

This matters if you own in central Athens or central Thessaloniki and expect to sell or pass the property on. The short-term rental value of the property does not travel with it.

New EU rules, from 20 May

Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 started to apply across the European Union on 20 May 2026.

Each country runs a single digital entry point. The booking platforms send it data about listings and activity, and the authorities read it from there. Platforms also have to collect your registration number and check it.

If you already hold an AMA and show it on your listings, this is not new work for you. What it changes is that the number is now much harder to avoid, in every EU country at once.

The regulation does not decide where short-term rental is allowed. National and municipal rules still do that.

More municipalities at the higher local tax

The municipal accommodation tax can be 0.5% or 0.75%, and the council decides. More councils have moved to 0.75%, and each decision takes effect three months after it is published.

Only companies and hosts with three or more properties pay this tax. If that is you, check your own municipality — the rate is not the same across the country.

Inspections, and what they cost

The property standards that started on 1 October 2025 are now being checked in practice.

Inspectors give ten days’ notice, and they can enter even if guests are staying.

The penalties rise with repetition: €5,000 for a first breach, €10,000 for a second within a year, and €20,000 for a third.

Two dates before the end of the year

31 December 2026. The Athens restriction, as currently set, runs to this date. Whether it is extended has not been announced. Watch for a decision before the end of the year.

31 December 2026. This is also the last day to sign a long-term lease that qualifies for the three-year exemption from income tax. The lease has to run at least three years, and the property has to be no larger than 120 square metres.

Keeping the dates in one place

Two of these obligations come round every month: the declaration you file after each stay, and the climate resilience fee. Shushko tracks both and shows what is due and when, with a reminder before the deadline. It does not file anything for you.

Where this comes from

• Naftemporiki — the restrictions and what changes during 2026
• LiFO — the 2026 restrictions in Athens and Thessaloniki
• LiFO — the requirements that started on 1 October 2025
• EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 on short-term rental data collection and sharing
• Law 5246/2025 — ΦΕΚ Α΄ 198/11.11.2025
• Nomiki Bibliothiki — the reformed scale for property income

Rules change. This page was last reviewed on the date shown above and is general information, not legal advice. Check the official sources before you file, or ask an accountant.