22.10.2026
Best Islands to Retire in Greece
Based on recent data of ours, almost one in three buyers (30.8%), mainly retirees, from abroad are looking for a property in Greece for a permanent residence.
Market Insights
Greece remains one of Europe's most rewarding places to own a property and let it out, and the latest short-term rental rules do little to change that, as the new limits are targeted. More specifically, they focus on the busiest central districts of Athens and Thessaloniki, while the islands, the coast, and the wider market stay open.
Where Exactly the New Rules Apply
The restrictions concentrate on the most crowded urban regions. In Athens, new short-term rental registrations are already paused across the first three municipal districts, covering the historic centre and neighbourhoods such as Plaka, Monastiraki, Koukaki, Kolonaki, Pangrati and Metaxourgeio. Thessaloniki now follows a similar path. Under a new bill from the Ministry of National Economy and Finance, the same pause is due to apply to the city's first municipal community from 1 July to the end of 2026. That area covers the historic and commercial heart of the city: Aristotelous Square, the Egnatia and Tsimiski axes, Ladadika and the port, Rotonda, Kamara, parts of Ano Poli, and the seafront up to the White Tower. The pause runs to the end of 2026, and it may be extended.
How the Rules Treat a Change of Ownership
In these central zones, a short-term rental registration no longer travels with the property. It stays with the owner who holds it. So if a registered home is sold, gifted, or passed from parent to child, the registration is removed, and the new owner cannot use it for short-term letting while the freeze is in place. Long-term letting and living in the home yourself both remain open. How inherited homes are treated is still being finalised, so if you inherit a property in one of these zones, it is worth checking where the rules stand before making plans around it.
Buying with Rental Income in Mind
For buyers focused on short-term letting, the practical effect is simple: there are plenty of opportunities outside the restricted central zones. Many of these areas are exactly the kind of places that draw visitors in the first place. A central-city apartment can still be a sound purchase for long-term rental or as a longer-term investment. The key is to match the property to your plans, and that is worth confirming before you commit.
Conclusion
The short-term rental market in Greece is open and active in the places most buyers are drawn to. The new rules ask only that you choose your location with the end use in mind, which is good practice anywhere.
