Short-term rentals have hoteliers worried
by Stathis Kousounis, ekathimerini.com, 31 March 2017

The hundreds of thousands of properties being leased out to tourists as accommodation without a permit from the Greek National Tourism Organization continue to operate in a state of tax immunity, just as legal hotels are set to be hit with a new tax burden in the form of the levy per night's stay as of January 2018.

Kathimerini understands that the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels has sent a letter to Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura highlighting the holes in the legislative framework for short-term rentals, which has not yet been enforced, and explaining its position on the changes it is proposing.

Among the law's problems noted by the chamber is the particularly low fine for property owners who don't comply with its provisions, amounting to 5,000 euros, while owners of villas bearing the GNTO stamp are threatened with fines of 50,000 euros.

The same sources say that the chamber has commissioned a study by Grant Thornton about the impact of the overnight levy on the hotel sector. At the same time, a Piraeus lawyer has drafted and submitted on behalf of the chamber an application to the Council of State for the cancellation of the social security law introduced by former labor minister Giorgos Katrougalos.