Stathis Karopoulos, director of the Stama Greece Association, analyses the new legislative initiatives of the government as well as the challenges for the short-term rental sector in a statement to BnB Daily.

He stresses that "regarding the standards adopted by the government, they are also the result of our own proposals. This is a landmark bill as the term residential use was removed and the term main use was introduced".

WHAT IT MEANS

"In this way, many investments worth millions of euros are not cancelled. This is because, with this change, many commercial and industrial properties are not put out of the market; on the contrary, there is now a framework that protects them," explains Mr. Karopoulos.

THE PROBLEMS

Regarding the issues facing the sector, Mr. Karopoulos says that "short-term leasing is not to the extent that it is blamed for the soaring rents and selling price, nor is it responsible for the housing crisis. There is also the issue of the environmental fee, as short-term rentals are equated with the equivalent fees of a five-star hotel'.

MOU

Stama recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the General Confederation of Professionals, Craftsmen and Merchants of Greece (FHWG). The MOU, as reported by APE, is for ensuring regular and operational cooperation between the two parties for the planning, preparation, implementation and execution of actions and synergies on items of interest to businesses related to short-term leasing.