Greek Accommodation Body SETKE Slams Short-term Rental Concept

Photo source: SETKE

The Greek Confederation of Tourist Accommodation Enterprises (SETKE) on Tuesday slammed the concept involving properties being rented to tourists for the ​​short term.

Following the recent launch of the electronic registry for property owners leasing their homes for short-term accommodation via online sharing platforms (such as Airbnb), SETKE said that “by legalizing short-term rentals, the government is eliminating the sector of small and medium-sized tourist accommodation, which for decades has been the ‘backbone’ of the Greek tourism product“.

According to SETKE, the taxation of income from short-term rentals is considerably more favorable than that of rented rooms.

The confederation also pointed out that tourist accommodation enterprises are up against a financial burden of 80-90 percent of their annual turnover.

“In some other countries the short-term lease of properties may serve specific needs of the hospitality market, but in Greece these needs are covered in the best way through legitimate rooms to let businesses that are licensed by the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO).

SETKE concluded that “in the Greek reality, the concept of short-term rentals has no substance or reason to exist”.