Greece’s Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) is preparing sweeping cross-checks targeting income earned from short-term rentals in 2025 that was not declared to the tax authorities, deploying all available digital audit tools at its disposal. The cross-checks are expected to take place during the final quarter of the year, with the primary goal of identifying property owners and managers who concealed actual earnings from their rental activity.
According to AADE data, 2,466,075 short-term stay declarations were submitted in 2025, with declared rental income reaching €973.712 million, up from €888.851 million in 2024 — representing an increase of approximately 10%.
This income has been recorded in tax returns filed this year and is now being passed through the auditors’ fine-tooth comb. The cross-checks conducted by AADE will leverage data from platforms including Airbnb, Booking.com, and VRBO, which will be compared against short-term stay declarations submitted to AADE and individual tax returns. Both property owners and property managers are in the crosshairs, and will be audited for the accuracy and completeness of their entries in the Short-Term Rental Property Registry.
Penalties
AADE’s audits are backed by a strict sanctions framework for violators. Specifically:
– Failure to register in the Short-Term Rental Property Registry carries an independent annual fine equal to 50% of gross revenue for the tax year in which the violation occurs, with a minimum penalty of €5,000. In the event of a repeat offense within one year of the original penalty notice, the fine doubles. For each subsequent repeat violation, the fine is quadrupled.
– Failure to submit or submission of an inaccurate Short-Term Stay Declaration carries a fine equal to twice the rental amount as it appears on the digital platform. Late submission of a Short-Term Stay Declaration incurs a separate administrative fine of €100.
Fines are imposed on the “Manager” of the property. In cases where the Manager cannot be identified as a subletter or third party, the fine is levied against the property’s owner or usufructuary.
Undeclared income
Audits and cross-checks carried out by AADE in 2025 uncovered the following:
– 24,383 unique tax identification numbers (TINs) linked to undeclared short-term rental income belonging to individuals with no business activity related to tourist accommodation. Data cross-referencing was conducted for tax years 2020 and 2021, as well as 2022, using data from the digital platforms Airbnb, Booking.com, and VRBO. This action applies exclusively to individuals without a registered business activity under a relevant tourist accommodation classification code. Processing of results identified — for income discrepancies exceeding €500 — 24,383 unique TINs (6,222 for 2020, 10,724 for 2021, and 17,525 for 2022), all of whom were called upon to submit amended income tax returns.
– 1,545 individuals who had received income from three or more short-term rental properties in 2024, or who acquired a third active Property Registry Number (AMА) from 2024 onward, either without having registered a business activity (1,017 cases) or without having declared the required classification codes for short-term rentals (528 cases).
– 12,145 short-term rental properties found to have no Property Registry Number (AMA) or an invalid AMA, which were subsequently removed from the Airbnb, Booking.com, and VRBO platforms.
The freeze
It is worth noting that the Greek government, as part of its broader efforts to better regulate the short-term rental market, is proceeding with a freeze on new Airbnb and similar licenses across three municipal districts of Athens and the first district of Thessaloniki, extending into 2027. Furthermore, licenses are now strictly personal and non-transferable. This means that in the event of a property sale, parental transfer, or inheritance, the Property Registry Number (AMA) is automatically cancelled and the property permanently loses its right to operate as a short-term rental.
