STAMA Greece is taking a clear position in the debate over the growth of undeclared tourist accommodation in Northern Greece, following reports of properties being used for tourist stays without being declared to the relevant authorities.
The Short-Term Rental Companies Association is seeking to draw a clear line between legitimate short-term rentals and practices operating outside the country’s regulatory and tax framework, stressing that the existence of an informal economy cannot be used as a reason to question an entire sector.
At the heart of STAMA’s intervention is a call for effective and targeted inspections, as well as a level playing field for all businesses operating in the tourism market.
“The market cannot be blamed because enforcement is difficult”
STAMA Greece President Vassilis Argyarakis identifies the effectiveness of enforcement mechanisms as a key issue.
“The market cannot be blamed because enforcement is difficult or ineffective,” he says, arguing that when properties are operated without the required registrations, without meeting the applicable standards and without paying the taxes due, the problem lies with the enforcement of the law—not with legitimate short-term rentals.
STAMA’s intervention comes at a time when short-term rentals are once again at the center of public debate, as Northern Greece’s tourism destinations are seeing increased demand from foreign visitors, alongside growing interest in holiday homes and properties that can be used for tourist accommodation.
The issue, however, is a different one: what happens when a property is used for tourist accommodation outside the mechanisms of registration and regulatory oversight?
STAMA argues that two fundamentally different activities should not be conflated.
On the one hand, there are legitimate short-term rentals, where the owner or manager has registered the property, meets their tax obligations and operates in accordance with the applicable regulatory framework.
On the other hand, there are properties which, according to the allegations that have been made public, are being rented without the required registrations, through networks or platforms operating beyond the reach of the Greek authorities.
For the association, the latter constitutes an informal economy and unfair competition and should not be associated with the organized short-term rental sector.
Targeting undeclared activity
STAMA’s position is that tackling the informal economy cannot be achieved through blanket restrictions that also affect those who comply with the rules.
Instead, targeted inspections and the use of available digital tools are needed to identify properties that are being used for tourist accommodation without appearing in the official system.
The association makes clear that it supports legality, transparency, compliance with the applicable standards and equal tax treatment for all forms of tourist accommodation.
At the same time, it argues that unfair competition primarily harms the professionals who have invested in operating their properties legally.
A property operating legally has specific tax obligations, compliance costs and requirements relating to safety and operation. By contrast, a property operating “under the radar” may have a different cost structure, creating an uneven competitive environment.
According to STAMA, this is the real problem that needs to be addressed.
The issue of safety
In its intervention, the association also places particular emphasis on visitor safety.
Compliance with legal standards, fire-safety measures and the safe operation of tourist accommodation cannot be treated as secondary issues.
As STAMA points out, when a property operates outside the regulatory framework, there is no equivalent assurance that it meets the requirements applicable to legal tourist accommodation.
The debate over the informal economy, therefore, is not only about taxation and competition. It is also about visitor protection and the overall quality and reputation of Greece’s tourism product.
For STAMA, ensuring that the market operates according to clear rules benefits both professionals and visitors.
Enforcement at the center of the debate
The association is calling for greater cooperation among the competent authorities and for better use of the data already available to the state.
The Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) now has significant amounts of data on short-term rental activity, while digital procedures make cross-checks possible that would have been considerably more difficult just a few years ago.
The question, therefore, is whether the available tools can be effectively used to identify genuinely undeclared properties.
STAMA’s position is that the answer to the informal economy cannot be to collectively target short-term rentals, but rather to strengthen the state’s enforcement capacity.
“Short-term rentals are not asking for preferential treatment. They are asking for rules that apply to everyone and effective enforcement,” is the association’s message.
The issue at the Short Stay Thessaloniki Conference
The issue takes on even greater significance as legality and enforcement will be among the key topics at the Short Stay Thessaloniki Conference, which will take place on November 14, 2026, as part of Philoxenia-Hotelia in Thessaloniki.
The choice of Thessaloniki is not accidental. Northern Greece is at the center of significant changes in the tourism model, with road tourism from neighboring countries representing a major source of demand and short-term rentals having a strong presence in popular destinations.
Growing activity in the property market and the conversion of holiday homes into tourist accommodation are creating new opportunities, but they are also highlighting the need for more effective oversight.
The conference is expected to address issues including tax compliance, enforcement, accommodation safety, unfair competition, and the relationship between short-term rentals, local communities and infrastructure.
For STAMA, the goal is to establish a clear framework in which legitimate operators are not placed at a disadvantage compared with those who choose to operate outside the system.
The association’s intervention, however, shifts the debate to a different level. Instead of asking whether short-term rentals are to blame for the existence of undeclared accommodation, STAMA is raising another question: if data and tools for monitoring the market are already available, why are they not being used effectively?
This is likely to be one of the most important discussions shaping the future of short-term rentals in Greece.
