Renting out your house on Karpathos to holidaymakers can cover a large part of your costs. Since 2025 Greece has much stricter rules for short-term rental, with registration, safety requirements, inspections and high fines. Below we explain what you need before your first guest arrives, which taxes and fees apply and when renting to one tenant for a longer time is the better choice.

This article reflects the rules in October 2026. They change often, so always check them with a Greek accountant before you start.

Register your house: the AMA number

Every house you rent out for short stays needs an AMA number (ΑΜΑ) from the Greek tax authority AADE. You show this number on every listing, for example on Airbnb or Booking.com. Since May 2026 booking platforms have to check the number under EU rules, so a listing without a valid number disappears.

To register you need a Greek tax number (AFM) and documents that show the house is legal and meant for living in. After each stay you also report the booking to the tax authority.

Safety and comfort rules

Since 1 October 2025 every short-term rental has to meet a list of minimum standards. The main ones:

• A fire extinguisher of 6 kg per 100 m², with a valid inspection
• Smoke detectors in the bedrooms and the kitchen
• A safety switch (RCD) installed by a licensed electrician
• A first aid kit and a visible list of emergency numbers
• Air conditioning in the bedrooms, except above 600 metres altitude
• Civil liability insurance that covers guests, from an insurer licensed in Greece
• A pest control certificate

Rooms like a storage room or basement can't be rented out as bedrooms. Inspectors can visit with ten days' notice, also while guests are staying.

Fines

The fines are high. A first breach costs €5,000, a second within a year €10,000 and a third €20,000. The tax authority can also cancel your AMA number, so your listings go offline.

The climate resilience fee

For every night a guest stays, you collect a climate resilience fee and pay it to the tax authority each month. The amount depends on the type of house and the season:

• Short-term rental and holiday homes under 80 m²: €8 per night from April to October, €2 from November to March
• Holiday homes of 80 m² or more, detached houses over 80 m² and furnished villas: €15 per night from April to October, €4 from November to March

Income tax on rental income

Rental income from a Greek property is taxed in Greece, also if you live abroad. In 2026 the rates are:

• Up to €12,000 a year: 15%
• €12,001 to €24,000: 25%
• €24,001 to €35,000: 35%
• Above €35,000: 45%

The brackets apply per owner. If you own the house together, each owner pays tax on their own share. If you rent out three or more houses, you count as a business and also pay VAT.

Bought with a Golden Visa? Then short-term rental of that property is not allowed.

Taxes in your home country

Besides the Greek rules, your own country has its own rules for a house abroad, and they differ a lot per country. Greece has tax treaties with most European countries, so you usually don't pay income tax twice on the same rent, but you often still have to declare the house or the income at home.

• The Netherlands: the house in Greece counts as an asset in box 3. You declare it in your Dutch tax return, but you get relief to avoid double taxation. The rental income itself is taxed in Greece. The Dutch box 3 system is being changed, so check the current rules each year.
• Germany: under the tax treaty, rental income from a house in Greece is taxed in Greece and generally exempt in Germany.
• Other countries, such as Austria, Italy and the United Kingdom, have their own rules.

Ask a tax adviser in your own country before you start renting out, and keep the Greek tax documents, because you often need them at home too.

Long-term rental as an alternative

Short-term rental brings more per night, but also more work: cleaning, changing guests, registration and inspections. Renting to one tenant for at least a year is simpler. Greece also gives a tax incentive: if you sign a long-term lease of at least three years by 31 December 2026 for a house of up to 120 m² that was empty or rented out short-term, the rental income is exempt from income tax for three years. Ask an accountant whether your house qualifies.

On Karpathos Houses you can list a long-term rental for free. More about how renting works for tenants is in long-term rental on Karpathos.

Before you buy a house to rent out

If you buy a house to rent out, check before you buy whether it can be registered. The house needs to be legal, with all parts in its permit or legalised. Add the costs of the safety rules, insurance, cleaning and management to your calculation, and keep in mind that the main season on Karpathos runs from June to September. May and October are quiet. If you don't live on the island, a local management company such as Coastlify can take care of renting out and looking after the house. What else you pay each year is in cost of owning a house on Karpathos.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a licence to rent out my house on Airbnb in Greece?

You need an AMA number from the Greek tax authority. You show it on every listing, and booking platforms check it.

What is the climate resilience fee for holiday rentals in Greece?

A fee per night that you collect from guests. For a holiday home under 80 m² it is €8 per night from April to October and €2 in winter. For larger houses and villas it is €15 and €4.

How much tax do I pay on holiday rental income in Greece?

15% up to €12,000 a year, 25% up to €24,000, 35% up to €35,000 and 45% above that, per owner.

What are the fines for short-term rental in Greece?

€5,000 for a first breach of the rules, €10,000 for a second within a year and €20,000 for a third.

This article is general information, not tax or legal advice. Ask a Greek accountant about your own situation.