Leasing & Short-Term Rentals
Legal support for putting a property to work — long-term and commercial leases, short-term letting, the filing obligations that come with each, and disputes with tenants.
The property is bought. Now it has to earn — lawfully.
An investment property’s return is decided in how it is let, not in how it was bought. And the two main routes — long-term letting and short-term rental — sit under entirely different regimes: different filing obligations, different tax treatment, different property standards, and in parts of central Athens different restrictions on registering a new short-term listing at all.
The choice is not purely commercial. The building’s regulations may prohibit short-term letting outright; the property’s permit may not cover the use; and the number of properties you let can turn the activity into a business, with everything that follows in registration, VAT and social security. These are checked before the first booking, not after the first fine.
Why our firm
Short-term rental is among the fastest-moving areas of Greek law of the past decade. The framework has repeatedly changed on taxation, registration duties, property standards and local restrictions. We verify what applies to your specific property, in its specific area, at that moment — rather than repeating rules that were correct last year.
Our approach
Depending on the case, the work may include:
- Permissibility review: building regulations, land use, the property’s permit and any local restriction
- Choosing the letting regime against your tax position and your objective
- Drafting the lease — residential, commercial or tourist
- Registration in the short-term stay property register and the associated filings
- Structuring the activity as a business where its scale requires it
- Deposits, guarantees, insurance and the allocation of liability for damage
- Tenant disputes: arrears, termination, and possession proceedings
Core areas of expertise
Long-term residential
Residential leases with the minimum terms Greek law imposes, rent review, deposits and early termination provisions.
Commercial leases
Business tenancies operate under a different framework from residential — term, assignment, the tenant's fit-out and what happens to it at expiry.
Short-term rental
Registration, filing obligations, suitability standards, and the local restrictions in force in the property's area at the relevant time.
Building regulations
The most common reason a short-term letting stops. Checked in the title deed and the building's regulations before purchase, not before the first booking.
Tax structuring
When letting remains property income and when it becomes a business activity — with the obligations that follow.
Tenant disputes
Rent arrears, termination, possession proceedings and enforcement, along with claims for damage to the property.
Frequently asked questions
Can I short-term let any apartment?
Not necessarily. The building’s regulations must permit it, the property must meet the suitability standards the legislation sets, and the area must not be subject to a restriction on new registrations — parts of central Athens have been placed under such restrictions from time to time. We check all three for the specific property.
Which route earns more?
It depends on location, property type, how much time you want to spend and your tax position. Short-term letting produces higher gross income with materially higher operating costs, variable occupancy and regulatory risk. We do not recommend one over the other — we set out what each one means legally.
Do I need a company to let property?
Not for a single property. Above a certain number of properties, or where additional services are provided, the activity may be treated as a business and require a corporate vehicle and the corresponding obligations. The threshold and conditions are verified at the assessment.
What if the tenant stops paying?
There is an expedited procedure for recovering possession and obtaining judgment for the arrears. How quickly it moves depends heavily on how well the lease was drafted and served — which is why this work starts with the contract, not with the dispute.