Property owners and hoteliers at odds over short-term rentals

Property owners and the representatives of the hotel industry in Greece are in conflict over a regulatory intervention in the rapidly growing new market for short-term lodging rentals via online platforms such as Airbnb, HomeAway and others, as the relevant bill is about to be tabled in Parliament.

According to the federation of property owners (POMIDA) and professionals in the real estate market, the bill will introduce significant restrictions to the short-term rental market, where tax evasion is common practice due to the fact that it is so easy for owners to operate under the radar. Hoteliers add that they are losing revenues to this unfair competition, which doesn't provide the same quality of service as hotels and isn't subject to health and safety inspections.

POMIDA's criticism of the bill focuses on clauses such as that restricting owners to leasing out no more...