Renting Out Your Apartment in Greece: the Complete Owner's Guide - Registration, Pricing, Listing and Guests from Serbia

Renting out an apartment in Greece is the main summer income for many families - and, for a growing number of owners from Serbia and the wider Balkans, the reason they bought property in Halkidiki, on the Olympic Riviera or on Thassos in the first place. But between "I have an apartment by the sea" and "the apartment is full from June to September" lies a string of decisions: how to register, what to charge, where to advertise, how guests from Serbia will find your property - and how to make them come back to you directly next year, without commission.

This guide walks through the whole path, step by step. It is written for owners of apartments, studios, villas and small guesthouses in Greece - whether you are just starting or already rent through Booking.com and Airbnb and want more direct bookings.

1. The legal framework: two ways to rent legally

Greece has two main routes for renting to tourists. They differ in obligations, but also in what you are allowed to offer your guests.

Short-term rental and the AMA number

If you rent as a "short-term rental" (vrachychronia misthosi), through platforms or directly, you register the property in the Short-Term Rental Registry of the tax authority (AADE) and receive an AMA number (Property Registry Number). That number must appear in every listing - Booking.com, Airbnb and serious portals ask for it at publication. Income is declared in your annual tax return, and under current rules individuals with several properties in short-term rental must register a business activity.

Tourist accommodation with an EOT licence

Classic "rooms and apartments to let" (enoikiazomena domatia) operate under the special operating mark of the Greek National Tourism Organisation (EOT) and a "keys" classification. This route means more paperwork at the start, but it lets you offer services (breakfast, mid-stay cleaning), does not cap the number of units and treats you as a tourist business - which for family complexes of 4-10 apartments is usually the only sensible choice.

What applies in both cases

• The climate resilience fee is charged to the guest per night; the amount depends on the property category and the season - check the current rates before you put them in your price list.
• Basic safety requirements: fire extinguisher, first-aid kit, visible contact details and emergency instructions; for short-term rentals also liability insurance.
• Guest registration as required by the rules on recording foreign visitors.

This is orientation, not legal advice: rules change, so go through registration and taxes with a local accountant (logistis) before your first season.

2. Who your guests are: a market that books months ahead

The Greek Ministry of Tourism records around 900,000 visitors from Serbia every year, plus hundreds of thousands from Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Montenegro. This audience has a few traits that directly shape how you should rent:

• They arrive by car - parking next to the property is often decisive, and changeover day is Saturday.
• They book early: most enquiries come between January and April, with a second wave in June for August.
• They stay 7, 10 or 14 nights, as families, and look for a kitchen, air conditioning, a terrace and the distance to the beach in metres.
• They come back to the same village and the same host for years - if the first contact was easy.
• They search in Serbian and prefer direct contact via Viber or WhatsApp.

A detailed profile of this guest, with a booking calendar and a list of what they expect from an apartment and a hotel, is in the guide Guests from Serbia and the Balkans.

3. Pricing: how to charge the right rate per season

The most common mistake of new owners is a single price for the whole summer. Guests from Serbia compare prices by date, so a price list with 4-5 seasons brings both more enquiries and higher occupancy:

A few rules that pay off in practice:

• Quote the price per apartment per night, not per person - that is how guests from Serbia calculate.
• State what is included: linen, towels, final cleaning, air conditioning, parking. "Air conditioning costs extra" is one of the most common reasons for a bad review.
• A 20-30% deposit secures the dates; the balance is usually paid on arrival.
• Compare yourself with three similar properties in the same village - not with the hotel across the road.

4. Preparing the apartment: what guests check in the first hour

• Air conditioning in every bedroom and stable Wi-Fi - the two most frequent complaints in reviews.
• A kitchen that actually works: hob or oven, fridge with freezer, coffee maker, crockery for the number of guests in the listing.
• Parking - marked, shaded if at all possible.
• A terrace with table and chairs for all guests; sun loungers or at least a parasol are a plus.
• House rules in Serbian and English: check-out time, rubbish, quiet hours, emergency contact.

5. Photos and a listing that brings enquiries

Guests decide in the first ten seconds - on the title, the first photo and the distance to the beach. The basic formula:

• Title = type + number of guests + village + main selling point: "Apartment for 4, Hanioti, 120 m from the beach, parking".
• 12-20 photos in the order a guest walks through the apartment: approach and facade, living room, every bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, terrace, view, beach.
• A description that answers questions before the guest asks them: metres to the beach and the shop, floor and lift, beds per room, air conditioning, parking, pets.

The full method, with title examples and a photo checklist, is in How to write an apartment listing that gets enquiries.

6. Where to advertise: platforms, tour operators or direct

Most owners combine three channels. The difference is who "owns" the guest and how much of the price stays with you.

On letovanje-grcka.com the Listing package costs 60 € for 6 months or 100 € for 12 months, and the packages with homepage highlighting 140/220 € and 250/400 €. There is no commission - every enquiry and booking is yours. Current prices and what each package includes are always on the pricing page, and an overview of the whole system in Advertise your accommodation in Greece.

For the maths on what commission takes out of a year, and how to move guests to direct bookings step by step, read Booking.com, Airbnb or direct bookings.

7. Communicating with guests: from enquiry to review

• Reply within an hour or two. The guest sends the same enquiry to several addresses; the booking goes to whoever answers first with a clear offer.
• The offer in one message: dates, total price, what is included, deposit amount and payment method.
• Written confirmation (email or Viber) with the address, contact number and check-in time.
• A week before arrival: a message with directions, parking details and the host's phone number.
• After the stay: a short thank-you and a request for a review - guests from the Balkans are happy to write one, but rarely do it unprompted.

8. One calendar, several channels, no double bookings

If you are on several platforms, keep availability in one place and sync it via iCal - Booking.com, Airbnb and the owner panel on letovanje-grcka.com all support calendar import and export, which makes a double booking of the same dates practically impossible. Update it after phone agreements too; a "forgotten" booking is the most common cause of a clash.

9. Pre-season checklist

• Registration (AMA number or EOT licence) and an agreement with your accountant.
• Seasonal price list, deposit and cancellation terms.
• Air-conditioning service, Wi-Fi check, kitchen inventory.
• New photos after every renovation.
• Listing published by January - when guests from Serbia start booking.
• Calendar synced across all channels.

Frequently asked questions from owners

Can I rent out an apartment in Greece if I am not a Greek citizen?

Yes. An owner from Serbia or any other country rents under the same rules as Greek owners: the property is registered (AMA number or EOT licence), the owner has a Greek tax number (AFM) and declares the income in Greece. An accountant in the town where the property is located usually sorts everything out within a few weeks.

What is the AMA number and is it mandatory?

AMA is the registry number for a property in short-term rental, issued by the Greek tax authority. It is mandatory for renting through platforms and must appear in the listing. Properties with an EOT licence quote their licence number instead.

How much does a commission-free apartment listing in Greece cost?

On letovanje-grcka.com the basic Listing package is 60 € for 6 months or 100 € for 12 months, with no commission per booking. Packages with homepage highlighting are 140/220 € and 250/400 €. Details are on the pricing page.

When do guests from Serbia book their summer holiday?

Mostly between January and April, with a second wave in June. A listing that goes live only in May misses most of the bookings for that season.

How large a deposit should I ask for?

Typically 20-30% at booking, by bank transfer, with the balance on arrival. Put the cancellation terms clearly in the booking confirmation.

Do I need the listing in English as well?

Yes - guests from the region often read English too, and the portal shows your listing in Serbian and English. The owner panel on letovanje-grcka.com is also available in Greek.

Next step

If the apartment is ready, the listing is the quickest part of the job: add your property through the owner panel, choose a package on the pricing page and see everything you get on the for owners page. For questions about property registration or choosing a package, use the contact form.