In any case, one thing is certain: your property should not remain unused because it only produces losses. From there, it is a matter of study whether you will make it available for long-term or short-term lease in order to arrive first at the solution that will bring you the most profit and secondly, at the alternative that will consume the least time (because as is known, time is money).

In the current situation, short-term leases have gathered a lot of "fire", as their spread nationwide was considered one of the reasons for the worsening housing problem. That is, the lack of a primary residence and the increase in the sale prices of properties and rents. We have even reached the point of being banned by the end of 2025 for specific areas throughout Greece. So if you need help making a decision about the use of your property, recording the data in both cases is considered essential.

Short-Term Rentals

In this case, before advertising the property on the appropriate platforms, a study of the area is required to estimate the average annual number of daily rentals, the daily rent as well as the estimated annual income. There are platforms and surveys that will help with this. From there, the recording of expenses begins. The commission collected by the platforms, which usually exceed 10-12%. The commission collected by the management company if you do not do it yourself and assign it to professionals to meet the needs of the tenants. The energy cost, cleaning, wear and tear, unforeseen damages and of course consumables. In addition, income tax can range from 15-45% in the event that the rent is collected directly from the individual or 22% if there is a company. In any case, it is crucial to choose a solution where all these expenses mentioned above are deducted from the income in order to limit the tax.

Long-term leases

In this case, the income is a given from the moment the contract is signed. Electricity, water, gas and utilities are assumed by the tenant and except for major damages/wear and tear that are not covered by the tenant – the rent ends up in full with the owner. Of course, one should not forget income tax: 15-45% for individuals and 22% for businesses. One detail: Under certain conditions, the disposal of closed properties and the conversion of short-term leases into long-term ones can lead to zero income tax for a certain period of time. An important difference: In a long-term lease, the owner is completely removed from his property for the duration of his lease. In a short-term lease, he has every right to “download” it from the platforms for specific days or weeks and use it for his own benefit.

So what will you seek? The possibly higher income of the short-term lease or the greater carefree and relatively stable income of the long-term?

The decision is yours.