June Airbnb-style Rentals Picking Up Pace in Greece

All the more Greeks are opting to rent out their homes or properties short-term with more than 20,000 accommodation choices available online for the month of June at five leading Greek destinations, marking a 40 percent increase compared to 2014.

The majority of options available for short-term lease through internet platforms such as Airbnb, are studios, one- or two-room apartments with each rental hosting approximately 177 visitors per year collecting an average income of 753 euros a month. For each reservation, Airbnb withholds 10 percent of the total fee.

For the month of June, some 5,000 homes have been leased out in the greater Athens area and are available for rent from one to three months per year, with one in five being rented out all year round.

Athens, Crete, Mykonos, Rhodes and Thessaloniki are the top destinations of choice.

More than 10,000 villas and apartments have been rented short term on Crete, 1,500 on Rhodes, 2,000 on Mykonos and 1,000 in Thessaloniki. Indicatively, the going rates for a home catering to three or four people starts at 150 euros.

The trend has prompted investors to purchase old properties in central Athens as well as to a marked decline in the numbers of homes available for long-term rent.