Greece’s short-term rental law in 2026: every let of under 60 days needs an AMA number, letting without one means a fine of at least €20,000, and no new AMAs are issued in central Athens until 31 December 2026. Here is what that means for property investors, with sources.
Every short-term rental in Greece must display an AMA registration number (Property Registration Number) issued through the tax authority (AADE), and this applies to every listing on Airbnb, Booking.com and similar platforms. The key legal distinction is the 60-day rule: a furnished let of under 60 days is a short-term rental, while a lease of 60 days or longer is a long-term lease under Greek civil law, falls outside the short-term rental regime and does not require an AMA number. Since 1 January 2025, new short-term rental registrations have been suspended in Athens' 1st, 2nd and 3rd municipal communities, a freeze that runs through 31 December 2026 and, since 1 July 2026, also covers Thessaloniki's 1st community; in September 2026 the government announced an extension of both to the end of 2027, not yet law. Properties bought under the current Golden Visa thresholds cannot be used for short-term letting at all.
A worked example for a €300,000 coastal apartment, gross per year before tax, using BUY GREECE® Greek Property Monitor yield ranges (Q3 2026). Licensed seasonal letting can out-earn a long lease, but management and licensing take their share.
The takeaway: in this example licensed seasonal letting clears roughly 10–40% more than a long lease even after management, where it remains permitted. The 8–10% gross assumes a well-run unit at the top of the Monitor's 6–10% short-let range, and the management share is our estimate. In frozen zones and for Golden Visa properties, the long lease is the strategy. Run your own numbers on the ROI page.
Worked example: a Glyfada apartment let for short stays by an individual owner is allowed — register for an AMA number, display it on every listing, and declare the income. Pick your own case above for an instant read.
An instant orientation, not legal advice. Rules current to 12 October 2026. Confirm your exact case with our team.
Yes, if each stay is under 60 days. A 30-day monthly booking is still a short-term rental, so the property needs an AMA number shown on the listing. Only leases of 60 days or more fall outside the short-term regime and need no AMA (Art. 111 Law 4446/2016). Since 20 May 2026, EU Regulation 2024/1028 also requires Airbnb, Booking.com and other platforms to verify and display the number.
Yes. A furnished lease of 60 days or more is a regular lease outside the short-term regime, so it needs no AMA number, whichever platform finds the tenant (Art. 111 Law 4446/2016). The income is taxed at the 2026 rental bands: 15% to €12,000, 25% to €24,000, 35% to €36,000 and 45% above (Law 5246/2025); an accountant confirms your filing. It is also the only way to let a Golden Visa property: see our Golden Visa guide for the full rules.
Not a ban, but a freeze on new registrations. Since 1 January 2025 no new AMA numbers are issued in Athens' 1st, 2nd and 3rd municipal communities, from Plaka and Koukaki to Pagrati and Petralona, through 31 December 2026; Thessaloniki's 1st community followed on 1 July 2026. In September 2026 the government announced an extension of both freezes to the end of 2027, not yet law. Existing AMAs keep operating but are cancelled on sale.
60 days. Since 1 January 2024, Art. 111 of Law 4446/2016 defines a short-term rental as a furnished property let for less than 60 days (up to 59), with no services beyond bed linen, booked through a platform or not. A lease of 60 days or more is long-term and outside the short-term regime (AADE, April 2024). Up to two AMA properties are taxed as property income; three or more count as a business with 13% VAT.
It is the registration number from AADE's Short-Term Stay Property Registry. Every short-let villa or apartment needs its own and must show it on every listing. The owner registers the property with AADE, which is possible outside the frozen zones of central Athens and Thessaloniki and only for main-use space that meets the Law 5170/2025 standards. Since 20 May 2026, EU Regulation 2024/1028 makes platforms verify and display the number.
No, apart from two city-centre freezes. The national rules apply in every municipality and island: an AMA number, the Law 5170/2025 standards and a climate resilience fee of €8 a night from April to October and €2 from November to March, or €15 and €4 for detached houses over 80 m² (Law 5162/2024). The only freezes cover Athens' 1st–3rd municipal communities and Thessaloniki's 1st; elsewhere new registrations remain possible under AADE and Ministry of Tourism rules.
Yes. In September 2026 the government announced that the Athens and Thessaloniki registration freezes will continue to 31 December 2027, and that the three-year income-tax exemption for owners who move a home to a long lease will run for 2027–2030; both still need legislation. Already in force: the Law 5170/2025 standards since 1 October 2025 and EU Regulation 2024/1028 since 20 May 2026, under which platforms report activity data every month.
Yes, outside the frozen zones of central Athens and Thessaloniki, if the property has an AMA number and meets the Law 5170/2025 standards. Since 1 October 2025 these include liability insurance, an electrical certificate, fire extinguishers and smoke detectors. Letting without an AMA is fined 50% of the short-let income, at least €20,000, rising to at least €40,000 for a repeat in the same tax year (Law 5162/2024). Press reports put fines for breaching the standards from €5,000. Ask us about a specific property.
This guide is maintained by BUY GREECE®, a U.S. property technology real estate company that markets Greek real estate investments to American and international buyers, with offices in Chicago and Glyfada, Athens. It is reviewed by Kirill Samarits, Founder & CEO, and updated when the law changes; every dated change is logged in our Greek property law tracker. General information, not legal or tax advice: a Greek lawyer or accountant confirms each case.
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