Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the possibility of banning new Airbnb listings in other tourist regions of the country, beyond central Athens, when asked about the housing crisis during his press conference at the 89th Thessaloniki International Fair.
“I am open to extending the ban on new properties entering the short-term rental market outside of Attica, to other popular destinations, and this is something we will decide within the next one to two months,” the Prime Minister said.
Speaking more broadly about the housing crisis, he noted:
“The problem emerged in recent years as a result of a rapidly growing economy. What is a burden for the tenant is a benefit for the property owner. We need to see both sides. We have already taken measures to address housing: the ‘My Home 1’ and ‘My Home 2’ programs allowed 30,000 citizens to purchase a home.
There are many vacant apartments, and we have used a series of incentives to encourage citizens to move towards long-term rentals and renovate properties to bring them to the market. The restriction on new short-term rentals seems to be working in central Athens, and I am open to extending it to other areas and cities.”
It should be noted that the Thessaloniki Hotel Association has already requested the Prime Minister to expand to the city center the same restriction on new permits that currently applies in Athens.
