Because Greece loves surprises, but nothing beats a reform dropped on your head with all the subtlety of a falling bougatsa.
- Cash rent becomes illegal on January 1, 2026
- Law 5222/2025 forces all rent through AADE-registered bank accounts
- Landlords risk losing 5% tax deduction if they accept cash
- Tenants risk losing housing benefits
- Rental income can now be instantly seized by the state
- New tax bracket added for 2026
- POMIDA advises landlords to update contracts and prepare early
Welcome to 2026, Where Your Rent Lives at the Bank
In a bold move that screams, “We can see you hiding cash in the biscuit tin,” Greece has decided that starting January 1, 2026, cash rent is no longer a thing. Not even “just this once,” not even “because yiayia prefers envelopes,” not even “but the ATM was out of money.”
No cash, no cheques, no cousin collecting the rent on behalf of the landlord.
Only pure, traceable, tax-loving bank transfers into an IBAN declared to AADE.
And yes — this applies to all leases, new and old, because the law doesn’t care if your rental agreement predates Wi-Fi.
Payments must hit the landlord’s account within the first 5 days of the month, and if your bank charges a ridiculous €2.50 fee to push a button, that is your problem, not the landlord’s.
Congratulations. Greece has entered the digital rental age. Whether you like it or not.
The Price of Non-Compliance
If landlords try to slip back into the comforting arms of cash, they lose a 5% tax deduction meant for depreciation and repairs.
If tenants pay in cash or through “my uncle’s account because it is easier,” they risk losing housing benefits and state allowances.
Translation:
Everybody behaves, or everybody pays for misbehaving.
New Obligations for Landlords
Greek landlords are now required to:
- Declare a dedicated bank account at AADE
- Make sure the account is in their own name
- Use joint accounts only if they are listed first
- In shared properties, each co-owner must have their own account for their share
And the best part?
To keep that 5% bonus deduction, every rent payment for the entire year must be done via bank transfer before December 31.
Miss one? Too bad. No tax candy for you.
But here is where it gets extra spicy:
Seizure Alert
Unlike salaries or pensions, rental income has zero protection in the bank.
If a landlord owes taxes or debts, AADE can grab the rent the moment it arrives in the account.
Imagine waking up, checking your banking app, and seeing a grand total of:
€0.00 — seized with love by the Greek State.
The New Tax Bracket That Will Hurt Just Enough
Greece also added a new middle tax bracket, because why not?
| Annual Rental Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to €12,000 | 15% |
| €12,001 – €24,000 | 25% |
| €24,001 – €36,000 | 35% |
| Above €36,000 | 45% |
The new 25% tier hits landlords earning €1,000–€2,000 per month — the ones who were just comfortable enough to breathe.
Not anymore.
What Landlords Should Be Doing Right Now
Before the panic spreads faster than a rumor in a Cretan kafeneio, POMIDA advises:
- Update all existing lease agreements to reflect mandatory bank payments
- Open or designate a personal bank account used only for rent
- Wait for AADE’s official instructions, then register your IBAN immediately
This is not the year to procrastinate.
The clock is ticking, and the state is sharpening its digital claws.
Argophilia Survival Tips
- Do not pay rent in cash. Not even once.
- Take screenshots of every transfer — banks love “technical issues.”
- Landlords: If you owe taxes, assume AADE wants your rent more than you do.
- Tenants: Make your payment early. Greek banks are allergic to functioning on time.
- Everyone: Update your lease before someone accuses you of tax evasion by accident.
Greece wants transparency. And Greece will get transparency — even if it has to drag the entire rental market into the light kicking and screaming.
Because Greece is Greece, let us imagine what will actually happen on January 1, 2026:
A landlord shows up at the tenant’s door, not with a receipt book, not with a smile, but with a portable POS machine dangling from his wrist like a holy relic.
“Kalimera…
I know the law says bank transfer, but… tap me, koukla.
Tap the card.
Tap the rent directly into my soul.”
The tenant stares. The POS beeps aggressively. The bank says declined because the landlord typed the amount with one extra zero. Meanwhile, AADE is sitting in the corner of the hallway like a jealous ex:
“Why are you tapping him?
You should be sending me the transaction first.”
Landlords will swear that the POS is “basically a bank,” tenants will swear that the POS is “basically cash with electricity,” and the law will scream from a distance:
NO.
Bank transfer only.
Stop inventing things.
But come January, you know someone in Heraklion will absolutely try it. And Argophilia will be there, watching with popcorn.
