Greek Hoteliers Want Rules for Airbnb-type Rentals to Come into Force

The Hellenic Hotel Federation is requesting for the law containing short-term rental rules to finally come into effect in Greece before the start of this year’s summer tourism season.

The law, which sets a series of requirements for those interested in renting out their properties in Greece for the short-term through online platforms such as Airbnb, was passed in parliament in December and should have been in force since February 1.

However, since the vote the Joint Ministerial Decision regarding the law has not been issued yet.

On Monday, the Hellenic Hotel Federation sent a letter to Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos and Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura, reminding that the shadow economy in Greece from short-term rentals of residential properties is depriving state coffers of over 260 million euros every year, boosting tax evasion and supporting undeclared labor.

Moreover, the federation said that the leasing of unregistered properties degrades the quality of the Greek tourism product and can also endanger the safety of tourists visiting the country.

The federation added that the leasing of unregistered properties to tourists, creates unfair competition against legitimate businesses that are overtaxed.

According to the law, an owner that wants to rent out his or her property for the short-term must be an individual taxpayer and not an enterprise and therefore must be listed in the Short-Term Lease Property Register at the General Secretariat for Public Revenue of the Finance Ministry.

However, as pointed out by the hotel federation, the Short-Term Lease Property Register has yet to be created by the ministry.