Greek Airbnb safety requirements are now enforceable operating standards, not optional hosting tips. Since 1 October 2025, a property registered for short-term rental in Greece must satisfy specific rules on lawful residential use, ventilation, air conditioning, insurance, electrical safety, fire protection, pest control, first aid and emergency information.
The requirements affect the property guests actually enter, as well as the documents a manager must be able to produce. Buying a smoke alarm and placing a first-aid box under the sink is not enough if the detector is in the wrong position, the kit is incomplete, the electrician’s declaration has expired or the bedroom itself does not qualify as a main-use space.
This practical checklist translates Article 3 of Law 5170/2025 and the Ministry of Tourism’s implementation circular into a property-by-property audit. It is general information, not legal, engineering, fire-safety or insurance advice. Use qualified professionals where certification or technical judgment is required.
Which Greek short-term rentals are covered?
The Ministry circular says inspections concern properties already entered, or later entered, in AADE’s Short-Term Stay Property Registry and carrying an AMA registration number. The standards therefore follow the registered property, whether bookings arrive through Airbnb, Booking.com or another channel.
Owners with several listings should create a separate compliance file for each address. A certificate for one apartment should not be assumed to cover another apartment in the same building. Match every policy, contractor certificate and technical declaration to the property that may be inspected.
1. Confirm that guest rooms are lawful main-use spaces
The first check is structural. Guest accommodation must consist of main-use spaces under Greece’s New Building Regulation. The circular describes residential main-use areas as spaces intended for the building’s basic use and for people to remain in, such as bedrooms, living areas, kitchens and offices. It also refers to a minimum clear height of 2.50 metres.
Corridors, stairwells, storage rooms, parking areas, sanitary rooms and mechanical rooms are examples of auxiliary spaces. A renovated basement storage area does not become a compliant guest bedroom simply because it contains a bed and appears in listing photos. Legality is evidenced through the building permit and, where applicable, documentation showing that changes have been regularised under planning law.
If the permit, floor plan and current layout do not clearly agree, ask an engineer to review them. This is the item most difficult to solve during the ten-day notice period before an inspection.
2. Measure bedroom light and ventilation
At minimum, bedrooms need natural light and natural ventilation through an exterior wall or roof. The Ministry guidance translates that principle into measurable thresholds:
- window-frame area providing natural light must be at least 10% of the bedroom’s net floor area;
- openable window area providing natural ventilation must be at least 5% of the bedroom’s net floor area;
- openings must face a shared space, the plot’s or building’s open area, or the open side of an open semi-outdoor space.
For a bedroom with a net floor area of 12 square metres, the simple circular-based check is at least 1.2 square metres of qualifying window-frame area and at least 0.6 square metres that opens for ventilation. That is an explanatory calculation, not an engineering certification; unusual layouts should be assessed professionally.
3. Check bedroom heating and cooling
Bedrooms must have cooling-and-heating air conditioning, either a split system or a portable unit. The circular says it should operate quietly and automatically and provide suitable comfort conditions. A fan or heating-only radiator does not meet that description.
An exception applies where the property is in a mountainous area at an altitude of 600 metres or more: cooling-and-heating air conditioning is not mandatory under this rule. Do not rely on an estimate from a map pin. Record reliable altitude evidence and confirm any borderline case before treating the exception as applicable.
4. Keep current liability insurance for the property
The owner must maintain an in-force civil liability policy for damage or accidents with a lawfully authorised insurer. Confirm the insured name, exact address, coverage dates and declared short-term-rental use. Platform protection should not be treated automatically as a substitute for property-specific evidence.
Our separate guide to Airbnb liability insurance in Greece explains how this differs from building cover, contents insurance, guest-damage protection and a security deposit.
5. Obtain a valid electrician’s declaration
Every property must hold a current Responsible Installer Declaration, commonly called a YDE or electrician’s declaration. It must confirm the presence of a residual-current device or anti-electric-shock relay. The official HEDNO guidance on the YDE explains that a licensed electrical installer is responsible for inspection, issue and renewal.
Ask the electrician to inspect the actual guest-use configuration, including extensions, outdoor sockets, water heaters, kitchen appliances and any recent renovation. Keep the signed declaration and its supporting documents together, and calendar its next required review rather than discovering an expiry during an inspection.
6. Install the required fire extinguishers
The Ministry circular specifies one portable dry-powder or water-based extinguisher of at least six kilograms for every 100 square metres of gross property area. Its referenced minimum extinguishing capacity is 21A-113B-C-3.
Area determines the minimum number, but placement and maintenance still matter. Use a competent supplier to select the correct model, position it where it is visible and reachable, mount appropriate instructions and track servicing or replacement dates. An extinguisher hidden behind luggage or sealed inside a locked owner cupboard is not useful to a guest.
7. Put smoke detectors in the right places
The rule calls for autonomous smoke detectors mounted on the ceiling. Their coverage must include, at a minimum, the surface area of the bedrooms and kitchen. Check the manufacturer’s coverage rating and installation instructions rather than assuming one alarm in a hallway covers an entire villa.
Add detector testing to every turnover or a documented monthly routine. Replace batteries and expired units promptly, record the test date and make sure a guest cannot easily disable an alarm because of nuisance cooking smoke. A professional can help with positioning where kitchens, high ceilings or open-plan spaces create uncertainty.
8. Light and mark every exit
Every exit needs emergency lighting, and the property needs escape-route signage. Walk the route as a first-time guest would: from each sleeping area to the final exit, in darkness, without relying on a phone. Check that keys are available, doors operate, signs are visible and furniture or stored linen does not narrow the path.
This requirement is especially important in stone houses, split-level apartments and villas with several external doors. The clearest route should be consistent with the signage; decorative arrows that point guests toward a locked terrace create a new hazard.
9. Maintain pest-control certification
Each short-term rental needs a current rodent- and insect-control certificate from an appropriately licensed company. The document should identify the property and remain valid. Ask the contractor what treatment was performed, which monitoring points require access and when the next service is due.
Keep the certificate in the compliance file, but also act on operational warning signs such as droppings, damaged seals, standing water or repeated guest reports. A certificate records professional work; it does not make continued housekeeping and maintenance unnecessary.
10. Stock the specified bilingual first-aid kit
The kit must be labelled in Greek and English: “ΠΡΩΤΕΣ ΒΟΗΘΕΙΕΣ / FIRST AID KIT.” The circular’s minimum inventory includes hydrogen peroxide, 10% povidone-iodine solution, five sterile gauze dressings in different sizes, white cloth adhesive tape at least three centimetres wide, one elastic bandage, one bandage-fixing tape, two pressure haemostatic bandages of different sizes, two burn-hydrogel sachets, one ammonia after-bite stick and four non-sterile powdered latex gloves.
Use that as a compliance inventory, not as medical instructions. Check seals and expiry dates, replace any item used by a guest and place the box somewhere visible and reachable. Tell guests where it is in the house guide without making medical claims about how individual items should be used.
11. Display emergency numbers guests can use
Provide an easy-to-find emergency guide. The Ministry’s example includes 112 for the European emergency service, 100 for police, 199 for the fire service, 166 for an ambulance, +30 210 7793777 for the Poison Centre, 108 for the Coast Guard and 1056 for the national child-protection helpline. It also leaves spaces for the nearest hospital and a local taxi service.
Print the guide in Greek and English, add the property’s exact address and coordinates, and include the host or manager’s emergency number. Verify local hospital and taxi details for each property rather than copying one island’s contacts into another listing.
Build one inspection-ready folder per property
A useful compliance folder should contain:
- building permit, relevant floor plan and any regularisation evidence;
- measurement or professional confirmation for bedroom light and ventilation where needed;
- liability policy, schedule and proof that it is current;
- valid YDE and electrical supporting documents;
- extinguisher purchase, specification and service records;
- smoke-detector model, coverage information and test log;
- pest-control certificate;
- dated first-aid inventory and expiry check;
- the bilingual emergency-number sheet used inside the property;
- photographs showing exit lighting, signage and equipment placement.
The broader business reason for maintaining these systems is covered in our guide to why guest safety matters for Greek Airbnb hosts. For legal compliance, however, evidence should be specific, current and tied to the registered address.
What happens if a property fails inspection?
Law 5170/2025 allows onsite checks by Ministry of Tourism officials and potentially mixed teams with AADE. Managers normally receive at least ten days’ notice and must cooperate, allow access and present evidence. Inspectors must carry official identification and a written inspection order.
A standalone administrative fine of €5,000 may be imposed when entry is refused, a required specification is missing or inspection obligations are not followed. If the same violation is found in a new inspection within one year, the fine doubles; a further repeat leads to four times the original fine.
The 48-hour host audit
- Walk every room and exit with this checklist.
- Photograph equipment, signs and documents that are present.
- List missing, expired or address-mismatched evidence.
- Book the electrician, engineer, insurer or pest-control company needed for technical items.
- Replace expired first-aid supplies and test smoke detectors.
- Print the bilingual emergency guide for that property.
- Set recurring reminders for renewals and equipment tests.
The bottom line
The strongest approach to Greek Airbnb safety requirements is to treat them as a living operating system, not a box of documents assembled after an inspection notice. Confirm the legality of the space first, then move through ventilation, climate control, insurance, electrical safety, fire equipment, pest control, first aid and guest information.
When every requirement has an owner, an expiry date and evidence tied to the correct address, compliance becomes easier to maintain—and guests receive a property that is genuinely better prepared for the unexpected.
