{"id":31983,"date":"2025-07-27T10:58:43","date_gmt":"2025-07-27T07:58:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bnbnews.gr\/?p=31983"},"modified":"2025-07-31T16:02:49","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T13:02:49","slug":"study-airbnb-s-impact-on-rent-prices-in-greece-is-a-myth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bnbnews.gr\/en\/data-amp-insights\/31983\/study-airbnb-s-impact-on-rent-prices-in-greece-is-a-myth\/","title":{"rendered":"Study: Airbnb\u2019s impact on rent prices in Greece is a myth"},"content":{"rendered":"

The public debate around short-term rentals is often intense and not infrequently accompanied by the belief that platforms such as Airbnb are responsible for skyrocketing rents and exacerbating the housing problem. However, a new in-depth study from the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) comes to deconstruct this association, shedding light with numbers and data on the real picture.<\/p>\n

Short-term rentals: An economic pillar, not a threat to housing<\/h2>\n

According to the report prepared by Professor Georgios Doukidis and Dr. Lefteris Kioses of the ELTRUN research centre of the Hellenic Academy of Athens, homes available exclusively for short-term rental constitute only 0.4% of the<\/strong> country’s total housing stock<\/strong> and only 1.1% of vacant homes<\/strong>. Even in the centre of Athens, exclusive STR dwellings do not exceed 1.1% of the total stock, while 25% of dwellings remain vacant<\/strong>.
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The OPA’s statistical analysis shows that the effect of STRs on rental prices is less than 1.8%<\/strong> and is not statistically significant, unlike other factors such as low disposable income (10.3%) and inflation (7.5%). As noted, the main cause of rent increases is not short-term rentals, but a reduction in disposable income<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

An underused building infrastructure<\/h3>\n

Greece has the third highest vacancy rate in the EU (34.5%)<\/strong>, with more than 2.28 million properties unoccupied<\/strong>. STRs utilise only a small percentage of this stock and largely meet the needs of tourist demand, particularly during peak periods.<\/p>\n

At the same time, construction activity is extremely limited<\/strong>: only 60,000 new homes<\/strong> have been built since 2015, and 40% of these remain vacant<\/strong>. Investment activity in housing is only 2.3% of GDP<\/strong>, the lowest in the Eurozone.<\/p>\n

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STRs: catalyst for tourism absorption and the economy<\/h3>\n

Short-term rentals are not just an alternative form of accommodation: they are a critical part of the country’s tourism capacity. In 2023, hotel occupancy exceeded 90% in the summer months, with STRs absorbing demand that would otherwise go unmet.<\/p>\n

Their contribution to the national economy was equally impressive:<\/p>\n