For the first time, short-term rentals are being formally integrated into Greece’s national spatial planning framework, as the new Special Spatial Plan for Tourism opens the door to geographic restrictions, operational time limits, controls on new property supply and potential interventions even in newly built homes designed exclusively for platforms such as Airbnb.
The draft Joint Ministerial Decision by the Ministries of Environment and Tourism seeks to place short-term rental activity within a broader framework for tourism management, destination carrying capacity and housing protection, acknowledging that the rapid expansion of home-sharing platforms is now directly affecting the functioning of cities, infrastructure, local communities and the real estate market.
Different rules depending on the area
At the core of the new framework is the provision that short-term rentals “may be subject to spatially differentiated terms and restrictions”, which will be specified according to the category and geographical characteristics of each area.
The spatial plan divides the country into five main categories: Controlled Development Areas, Developed Areas, Developing Areas, Early-Stage Development Areas and Areas for Special Development Enhancement. This classification is primarily based on tourism intensity, tourism bed capacity, population and the specific geographical characteristics of each destination.
In practice, this means that areas already facing overtourism or severe housing pressures may be subject to stricter operating rules for short-term rentals.
Time limits and restrictions on new supply on the table
The new framework leaves open a broad range of possible interventions regarding Airbnb and short-term rental operations. Specifically, it provides for the introduction of special measures aimed at organising and monitoring the sector.
These may include specific terms and conditions for listing properties on short-term rental platforms, particularly in relation to their use as primary residences.
At the same time, the framework allows for the regulation of the duration of activity per year, paving the way even for maximum annual rental-day limits in certain areas.
The draft also provides for the creation of geographical zones where short-term rental activity may be restricted or prohibited, as well as limits on new short-term rental supply, especially in areas facing increased pressure or special geographical conditions.
Particular attention is drawn to the explicit reference to newly built homes, as the spatial plan leaves open the possibility of interventions in new residential projects designed from the outset exclusively for tourism exploitation through Airbnb-type platforms.
Link to the housing crisis
The new policy direction comes at a time when the housing crisis is at the centre of public debate. In several areas of Athens and in popular island destinations, the expansion of short-term rentals has significantly reduced the supply of homes available for long-term leases, contributing to rising rents and altering the social composition of entire neighbourhoods.
The spatial plan itself acknowledges the need to protect the “functionality and identity of areas”, as well as to prevent “pressure phenomena on destinations” and the degradation of natural resources.
This philosophy is directly linked to the concept of carrying capacity, which runs throughout the new tourism spatial framework. The plan provides that areas experiencing high tourism pressure will require special Carrying Capacity Assessment Reports for both urban planning projects and large tourism developments.
Monitoring through tax authority data
The new monitoring model for short-term rentals will rely on real data. The framework states that policy decisions will take into account information from the Independent Authority for Public Revenue’s Short-Term Rental Registry and the OPS-ADE information system.
This means that interventions will not be horizontal across the country, but may instead be applied locally depending on the number of available properties, the intensity of tourism activity and the pressures recorded on housing and infrastructure.
A new tourism development model
Overall, the new Special Spatial Plan seeks to shift the focus from uncontrolled growth to destination management. The document notes that Greek tourism reached a new historic high in 2025, with 43.3 million travellers and tourism revenues of €23.63 billion.
It also highlights the strong dependence of the Greek economy on tourism, noting that the trade, tourism and food service sectors generated 53% of all new jobs between 2020 and 2025.
However, the government also acknowledges that many destinations are now facing serious pressure on infrastructure, transport networks and urban functionality, particularly during peak periods of the year.
For this reason, the new framework identifies sustainable development, destination resilience, tourism experience management, protection of natural and cultural assets and the spatial rebalancing of tourism activity as key priorities.
A new landscape for investors and property owners
The provisions of the new spatial framework are expected to create a completely different environment for the short-term rental market in the coming years. Until now, Airbnb growth has been regulated mainly through tax and operational rules. From now on, the sector will also fall within the core of spatial and urban planning policy, meaning that restrictions may be linked to urban planning, environmental and development criteria.
In essence, the state is now acquiring the ability to intervene spatially in the operation of short-term rentals, establish control zones and connect tourism exploitation of properties with the carrying capacity of each area and the needs of local communities.
