Greece Cracks Down on Airbnbs and Short Term Rentals in Athens

Greece is targeting short-term rental properties in Athens in a bid to address the country’s growing overtourism woes.

The government announced Monday (Sept. 16) a ban on new licenses for short-term rentals in three central districts in Athens. This ban will be in effect for at least a year, starting Jan. 1, 2025.

Greece is facing a housing crisis. Low wages, high inflation, and property shortages are to blame, but the situation has been exacerbated by homeowners renting out properties as vacation rentals, limiting available housing for permanent residents seeking long-term rentals.

Airbnb in particular has been blamed worldwide for skyrocketing housing costs in high-tourism areas, with destinations like Hawaii banning short-term rentals outside of designated resort zones.

In Greece, the Airbnb ban is being combined with an increased tourist tax, as well as an incentive program to encourage property owners to convert their short-term rentals to long-term.

“We have found that they (short-term rentals) operate somehow as hotels, while there is also a lot of pressure on society,” Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni told reporters (via Reuters).

Kefalgianni added that the country’s tourism in 2024 is expected to be another record-breaking year.

“Greece is in the top 10 of the most popular tourist destinations in the world,” she said. “We can be hopeful that revenues could reach as much as 22 billion euros.”

Airbnb is working with the Greek government on “targeted and proportionate solutions,” said Valentina Reino, head of public policy for Airbnb in Southern Europe (via Reuters).