The tax framework for Airbnb-style short-term rentals has become more complex and complicated, with landlords needing to be well aware of the new pitfalls to avoid facing fines. A guide to navigating the pitfalls of the legislation is the updated guide from the Independent Authority for Public Revenues (AADE) with questions and answers on short-term rentals, which details the new obligations of landlords.

From 1 January 2024, it will not matter whether the lease is done through a platform or with a private agreement “in hand”. If the stay is for up to 59 days and no services beyond basic bedding are provided, it is considered short-term and must be registered with the Registry of the RSA with a Property Registration Number (PRN). This closes the window for those who have so far tried to avoid the registration platform by claiming they are not renting through Airbnb or Booking.

Another “cutter” is rental renewals. If a tenant initially books for 51 days and then stays for another 13, the APA sees it as two separate rentals. So the first part is still considered short-term and is not dubbed “long-term” because the limit was exceeded. This means that each contract is considered separately, and the definition cannot be circumvented.

The other big clarification concerns what is considered “property”. Now, even a room within an apartment is considered a separate property and gets its own AMA. However, if the owner gives two rooms with separate AMAs and also has a third AMA for the house as a whole, the IRS will count two properties, not three. This detail matters because it determines whether the taxpayer will stay under the three-property limit or go into business.

The last loopholes are being closed in the tax regime. An individual with up to two properties cannot declare a “business” to pass expenses. The income is recorded solely as real estate income. From three properties or more, or in the case of any legal entity, the income is considered a business and comes with a full set of obligations: Tax13% on all properties, a Transient Occupancy Fee, a Climate Resilience Fee, and an interface with myDATA. This brings the “big players” compulsorily into the normal tax regime.

In addition, anyone who provides other services beyond linen, such as cleaning, breakfast or transport, is taken out of the Airbnb framework. The property is now considered tourist accommodation, and the operator must open a business and make a notification to the NotifyBusiness of the Ministry of Tourism.

This yea,r the way of calculating the Climate Resilience Fee has also changed. If the stay covers months with different fee amounts – for example, from December to January or from May to June – a single receipt will not be issued, but a separate one for each month. This brings more bureaucracy but also more transparency to the fee.

The landscape is also getting tighter in the center of Athens. In the first three districts of the city (where a “freeze” on new AMAs has been imposed), one cannot open a new registration. Only those properties that were already registered by 31 December 2024 are exempt. These can reapply for an AMA if the manager changes due to a new lease, if there is a transfer or inheritance, or if re-registration is required after a break. For all others, the register is closed.

Finally, a clear instruction was put in that a new AMA number must be issued whenever there is a change of owner or manager. The number is not “inherited” from the previous one, but the process starts from the beginning.