HOUSING IN GREECE
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SHORT TERM RENTALS
Greece doesn't have a flourishing long-term (i.e. one year or longer) rental market in resort areas, where it’s more common for people to buy, and it can be difficult to find good long-term rentals for a reasonable rent.
Most rental properties in resort areas, whether long or short-term, are let furnished – and often poorly equipped for permanent living – and long-term unfurnished properties are difficult to find. However, in major cities the opposite is the case, with long-term rental properties usually let unfurnished and furnished properties in short supply. Note that rental accommodation usually has no heating.
Rental costs vary considerably depending on the size (number of bedrooms) and quality of a property, its age and the facilities provided. However, the most significant factor affecting rents is the region, the town and the particular neighbourhood. A small, one or two-bedroom, unfurnished apartment, e.g. 50 to 75m2, which rents for between €500 to €1,000 a month in an average Athens suburb, costs around 50 per cent less in most rural and resort areas outside the main tourist season.
As well as the monthly rent, you must pay one month’s rent as a deposit. If you have a long-term contract you may have to pay up to six months rent in advance. Long-term tenants usually pay for their own water and electricity consumption unless utilities are paid for on a communal basis, a common practice in older apartment blocks.
SHORT TERM RENTALS
Short-term rentals are always furnished and are usually for holiday lets or periods of up to a year.
A short-term or temporary contract is necessary, which provides tenants with fewer rights than a
long-term contract.
There’s an abundance of self-catering properties for rent in Greece, including apartments, cottages, farmhouses, townhouses and villas. Rents for short-term rentals are usually higher than for long lets, particularly in popular holiday areas, where many properties are let as self-catering holiday accommodation. However, most owners let self-catering properties in resort areas at a considerable reduction during the ‘low season’, e.g. October to March.
The rent for an average one or two-bedroom furnished apartment or townhouse during the low season is usually between €300 to €600 per month, for a minimum one or two-month let.
Rent is usually paid one month in advance with one month’s rent as a deposit. Lets of less than a month are more expensive, e.g. €300 per week for a two-bedroom apartment in the low season, which is some 50 per cent (or less) of the rent in the high season. Many hotels and hostels also offer special low rates for long stays during the low season. Note, however, that when the rental period includes the peak letting months of July and August, the rent can be prohibitively high.
Standards vary considerably, from dilapidated, ill-equipped apartments to luxury villas with every modern convenience. Always check whether a property is fully equipped (which should mean whatever you want it to mean) and whether it has central heating if you’re planning to rent in winter. Rentals can be found by contacting owners advertising in publications and through agents in most areas, many of who also handle rentals.
OTHER HOUSING ALTERNATIVES
Hotel rates in Greece vary depending on the hotel rating – rates are set by the government for all hotels except those with the top ‘L’ rating – the time of year, the exact location and the individual establishment.
You may be able to haggle over rates outside the high season and for long stays, for which many hotels offer special rates. Hotels located in large towns, cities and coastal resorts are the most expensive, and rates in cities such as Athens (while lower than in other European capitals) can be very high. However, inexpensive hotels can be found in most towns, where a single room can usually be found for around €25 and a double for under €50, although usually without a private bath or shower.
Minimum and maximum rates are set according to the facilities and the season, although there’s no season in the major cities. Rates are considerably higher in tourist areas during the high season of July and August, when rooms at any price are hard to find. On the other hand, outside the main season, particularly in winter, many hotels offer low half or full board rates (even better rates are offered for stays of a week or longer). Hotels aren’t a cost-effective, long-term solution for home hunters, although there’s usually little choice if you need accommodation for a short period only. Bed and breakfast accommodation is also available in Greece, although it isn’t usually budget accommodation, in which case you need to choose a hostel.
HOME EXCHANGE
An alternative to renting is to exchange your home abroad with one in Greece for a period.
This way you can experience home living for a relatively small cost and may save yourself the expense of a long-term rental. Although there’s always an element of risk involved in exchanging your home with another family, most agencies thoroughly vet clients and have a track record of successful swaps. Homelink International claims 99 per cent of its clients enjoy successful swaps. There are home exchange agencies in most countries, many of which are members of the International Home Exchange Association (IHEA).
There are many home exchange companies in the US, including HomeLink International with over 12,500 members in around 50 countries (Tel. USA 813 975 9825, www.swapnow.com). Two long-established home exchange companies in the UK are HomeLink International (Tel. UK 01962-886882, www.homelink.org.uk), which publishes a directory of homes and holiday homes for exchange, and Home Base Holidays, 7 Park Avenue, London N13 5PG, UK (Tel. 020-8886 8752, www.homebase-hols.com). The Home Exchange Guide by M. Simon and T. Baker (Poyeen Publishing) contains comprehensive information and advice.
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