With the rental price rally continuing to pressure households, the government plans to maintain the ban on new Airbnb listings in central Athens, at least until the end of 2026. The prohibition on issuing new Property Registry Numbers (AMA) in the first three municipal districts of Athens Municipality has been in effect since January 2025.
Extension of short-term rental restrictions through 2026
The measure, which was originally set to expire at the end of 2025, will be extended until the end of 2026 according to information from the newspaper “Ta Nea”. The Ministry of National Economy and Finance is moving toward extending the measure, while other areas experiencing problems and shortages of available housing are also under consideration.
Which areas are covered by the new Airbnb ban
According to the current regime for all of 2025, the Property Registry will not accept new property registrations for short-term rentals in the following areas of Athens Municipality:
· 1st municipal district: Plaka, Kolonaki, Koukaki, Syntagma, Omonia, Monastiraki, Exarchia, Ilisia, Neapoli
· 2nd municipal district: Mets, Neos Kosmos, Agios Artemios, Pangrati
· 3rd municipal district: Votanikos, Metaxourgeio, Gazi, Petralona, Rouf
The law allows for the restrictions to be extended beyond December 31, 2025, through a joint decision by the Ministers of National Economy and Finance, Development, and Tourism.
Expansion of restrictions to other areas
The law provides for extending restrictions not only in central Athens but potentially to other areas as well. The criterion is where it is deemed that the increase in short-term rental properties has significant impacts on available rental properties.
Explosive growth in short-term rental market
The short-term rental market situation remains explosive despite the ban on new Airbnb listings. April 2025 recorded a new record for bed availability. According to INSETE, available beds in Airbnb-type accommodations exceeded 1 million (1,007,718).
This number surpasses even the total hotel beds (894,854) that were operating by the end of 2024, as recorded by the Hellenic Hotel Chamber.
Short-term rental data for 2025
Specifically, while 10,104 hotels with 447,363 rooms were operating, short-term rental accommodations reached 228,000 this past April. This represents an increase of 16,000 units compared to the same month last year.
Additional time from tax authorities for declarations
Meanwhile, the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) is providing additional time for submitting short-term accommodation declarations for properties located on the borders of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd municipal districts of Athens Municipality.
The decision by Giorgos Pitsilis concerns properties that are not subject to restrictions and for which a new Property Registry Number (AMA) has been issued after January 1, 2025. For these properties, the deadline for submitting declarations corresponding to the months of January through May 2025 is extended until Monday, April 21, 2026.
The extension aims to facilitate the managers of these properties in order to regularize the relevant declarations within the new deadline.
