New Short-Term Rental Rules in Greece: How to Avoid Getting Fined by AADE

• Rentals over 59 days aren’t “short-term” anymore
• Managing two short-term rentals? Still VAT-free. That third listing means hello, VAT
• Every property must appear separately in the Short-Term Property Lets Register
• If all flats in a building are rented short-term, it’s now considered a hotel
• Owners ducking the rules get hit with huge fines, not a slap on the wrist
• AADE and the Ministry of Tourism can knock on your door (figuratively and literally)
• Digital platforms and managers can’t hide—AADE can ask for all data
• In some areas, don’t even think about listing more than two properties
• Late paperwork = €100 fine; wrong or missing details = double rent fine
• VAT and climate resilience fees now apply in more situations

What Counts as a Short-Term Rental in Greece? (Not Everything!)

It’s official: Greece’s Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) has issued a new instruction manual on how to run short-term rentals without the tax man jumping out from behind the sofa. After the latest legal tweaks, here’s the short version:

Short-term rentals in Greece now get a pretty straightforward definition. If that house, apartment, or spare room is rented for under 60 days a year, it counts. AADE says (straight from the law),

“Short – Term Rental (STR) is defined as the letting or subletting of immovable property regardless of whether it is posted on a digital platform of the sharing economy or not, and regardless of whether the contract is concluded via the digital platform, for a specific duration of less than sixty (60) days and provided that no services other than the provision of bed linen are provided.”

Yes, supplying sheets is fine. Anything more, guess what—you’re a hotel now.

Property managers (which includes the owner, a legal rep, or your weird cousin managing your Airbnb for a cut) must get themselves on the Register of Short-Term Property Lets. And don’t forget to slap that database entry number on every ad, post, and platform listing. If there’s an “ESL” (Special Operating Logo), you’re golden as long as you show it off.

Letting out two places? You won’t have to pay VAT. Running three or more? Congratulations, you’re now in the system for VAT. There’s also the pesky temporary residence fee and, starting in 2024, the shiny new climate crisis resilience fee.

How to Properly (and Legally) List Your Short-Term Rental

Time to play by the rules. Here’s what AADE wants from your short-term rental business:

• “Each leased property must be entered separately in the Register of Short-Term Property Lets.”
• “If all the apartments of a condominium or residential complex are rented out on short-term leases, the condominium or complex in question is considered tourist accommodation and must have a Special Operating Sign (ESL) or have submitted a notification.”
• “In case of non-compliance with the conditions… property managers are imposed a separate administrative fine per year, equal to fifty percent (50%) of the gross revenue of the tax year in which the infringement is committed, which cannot be less than five thousand (5,000) euros.”
• “The letting of each property may not exceed ninety (90) days per calendar year and for islands with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants, the letting of each property may not exceed sixty (60) days per calendar year.”
• “With effect from 01.01.2024, Short-term rental is subject to VAT when the lessor is a legal person or legal entity or when the lessor is a natural person with three or more leased properties (article 28 of Law 5073/2023).”

Keeping Out of Trouble

If you dump management of your property on someone else, brag about it on the proper paperwork, or enjoy a starring role as your own property manager. If you’re a joint owner and not the main one collecting rent, keep calm and carry on.

Every property needs its own spot in the Register, or AADE will assume you’re up to no good. Miss a paperwork deadline? That’s a €100 fine before breakfast. Forget the rules entirely? Try a fine that’s 50% of your revenue, with a minimum of €5,000. Keep ignoring AADE and your fine doubles. If you skip out on the all-important STR Declaration or fudge the numbers, get ready to pay double whatever rent is listed that day.

For laughs, AADE and the Ministry of Tourism might even show up to check your paperwork. If you’re slow to respond, expect penalties. Platforms must share information, so don’t bother hiding.

Not content with all that, AADE and the ministers can slap limits on how many properties a manager can handle in different areas—a maximum of two per person, unless you love fines more than income. On smaller islands, rentals get a 60-day ceiling per property, or 90 days elsewhere. Somehow, you can clock more days than that, but still earn less than €12,000 all year? You might squeak through.

Any owner, manager, or platform running short-term rentals in Greece now has a thick rulebook to follow. The authorities want complete registration, clear records, and quick compliance. Get anything wrong and the fines sting—no cute warning letters here.

With new taxes and location-based restrictions, anyone banking on short-term rentals in Greece will need to keep track of every renter, every euro, and every regulation. It’s enough to make some long for the days when the only surprise was a broken water heater, not a €5,000 fine.