The new special spatial planning framework for tourism, which has been put up for public consultation by the Greek Ministry of Environment, paves the way for restrictions on Airbnb-style short-term rentals, especially on islands and in overcrowded tourist areas, according to a report by Kathimerini.
The framework does not immediately introduce bans, but it creates the legal basis for the state to intervene in the future on an area-by-area basis, depending on tourism pressure and the carrying capacity of each destination. Among other measures, it allows authorities to limit the number of properties available for short-term rental, impose operating time limits, ban new licenses, and even create zones where such activity is completely prohibited.
In other words, the framework does not directly impose restrictions, but gives the government the legal ability to introduce them in the future depending on the region.
Particular emphasis is placed on islands, where authorities are considering suspending the conversion of newly built homes into Airbnb rentals by freezing the issuance of new property registration numbers (AMA) by the Independent Authority for Public Revenue. At the same time, short-term rental beds will for the first time be counted as part of the total tourism capacity of an area.
Although Greek legislation had already allowed restrictions on short-term rentals since 2016 in areas facing strong tourism or housing pressure, these tools had remained largely inactive for years. They were applied for the first time in 2025 in parts of the Municipality of Athens, where the issuance of new AMA registration numbers was frozen because of the high concentration of Airbnb properties. The move highlighted the political difficulty of intervening in a market closely tied to tourism, real estate investment, and property owners’ income.
Source: Κathimerini
What is fyi.news?
