Stama Greece have sent a letter to relevant ministries and agencies under the title: “Our proposals for upgrading short-term rentals in Greece”. The letter proposes a road map of action items and best practices that will contribute to upgrading the standard of hospitality and accommodation services provided in Greece.
The Letter
Ladies and Gentlemen Ministers, dear partners,
The foundations of the Association of short-term rental companies (Stama Greece) are built on our shared opinion and passion towards the continued improvement, standardisation and professionalisation of the short-term rental hospitality industry.
We have a responsibility to visitors from abroad, domestic visitors from other regions, and to our country in general as the services we provide impact us all and in broader terms, impact the model of our tourism as a product.
Our ever-increasing contribution to both GDP and Greek tourism records cannot go unnoticed.
This is why we are submitting our proposals for the improvement of short-term rental services provided, so we can work together for the benefit of all involved.
Our Proposals
1.Sustainable Practices
Global awareness of environmental impacts and issues have never been higher. Every survey reflects visitors’ heightened awareness surrounding sustainability and greener practices related to energy consumption, water, and waste management amongst others.
We believe that sustainable practices should be developed so that short-term rental accommodation contributes more to sustainability and to improving the reputation of our country as a destination overall. Adopting sustainable practices doesn´t only positively impact our environment, we know that accommodation that has implemented better, more sustainable practices, on average see increased revenue, better online reviews and often receive repeat bookings and recommendations.
Certification is key to maintaining a professional, standardised, sustainable short-term rental sector. Our proposed roadmap is very important to us, we work with faith and passion to usher in the era of sustainability in the Greek short-term rental market, and we can start by implementing practices such as:
- Power consumption exclusively from RES
- Household appliances should be newer technology and have a top energy efficiency score (A/C, fridge freezers, etc.)
- LED bulbs
- Mechanism to control and monitor water consumption
- Amenities from biodegradable materials
- Recycling bins
2.Liability Insurance
As short-term rental managers we host guests from all over the world and from all over our own country, that’s why we strongly believe it should be compulsory for any property included on the real estate registers. We highly recommend it to our Stama members and most of our members are protected by it.
3.Fire Extinguishers
We suggest the presence of a fire extinguisher should be a mandatory requirement in all short-term rental accommodation.
Accidents happen and we have a responsibility as hosts to provide the tools to remove or at least alleviate risks.
4.Emergency Exit
Emergency escape routes should be clearly signposted in every accommodation as mandatory. Amongst other avoidable and unavoidable risks, our country is prone to earthquakes and clearly marked emergency exits in every accommodation could save lives.
5.First aid kit
We recommend that every short-term rental has an easily accessible First Aid box for the guests. Pharmaceutical products with a shelf-life should be renewed every six months and all product contents should be checked before each check-in. Minor accidents happen and can cause a state of panic especially for visitors who are in a foreign environment, so there is value not only in catering for these incidents but also to the overall guest experience of the Greek short-term rental market.
6.Sanitary Disinfection
We propose mandatory disinfection of each accommodation. As this is a standard practice amongst stama members already, we have entered into a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Hellenic Association of Mycotic Extermination Companies (SEAME).
We appreciate that disinfecting an apartment does not solve the problem in common areas such as the apartment building.
Additionally, we have a number of specific recommendations for the accommodation:
Smoke detectors
Mandatory existence of YDE (escape relay and installation declaration)
Blackout blinds in every room containing a bed
Heating, cooling, air conditioning should be energy class A+ or a ceiling fan should be in use
Information on medical assistance in print or digital form. Local emergency telephone numbers in printed or digital form in the rooms
Non-slip surface in the bathtub or shower
Equipment for making quick meals in a quantity proportional to the number of beds
Energy efficient fridge freezer
Please note, that when drawing up our proposals we took into account:
- The need to protect the quality of the country’s tourism product
- The need to upgrade the services provided by the Short-Term Rental accommodation
- The conditions that exist in other hosting models
We remain at your disposal for the continuation of an honest and constructive dialogue.
Yours sincerely
The Board of Directors of Stama Greece
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