Housing: Study overturns debate on shortage – “Airbnbs aren’t to blame, the 2.2 million unoccupied homes are”

A study by the Athens University of Economics and Business finds that homes used exclusively for short-term rentals make up just 0.4% of the country’s total housing stock – a negligible share unlikely to impact the market. Meanwhile, over 2.28 million properties – or 34.5% of Greece’s housing stock – are not used as primary residences.

As the government and society look for someone to blame for skyrocketing rents and the housing crisis, a new report throws fuel on the fire: Airbnb is not the problem. According to the findings of the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB), homes listed exclusively for short-term rental (STR) represent only 0.4% of the total housing supply in Greece – far too small a share to significantly affect the market.

In contrast, over 2.28 million properties – roughly one in three homes – are not used as main residences. These “unoccupied” homes include a wide variety: vacation homes, properties for sale or rent, buildings under construction, or abandoned/inactive dwellings. That means they’re not all immediately available, but their large number points to a deeper structural failure to utilize existing housing stock.

STR Restrictions in Central Athens

This research comes as the government enforces a temporary freeze on issuing new property registration numbers (AMA) for Airbnb-style rentals in central Athens neighborhoods such as Plaka, Kolonaki, Koukaki, Syntagma, Omonia, Monastiraki, Exarchia, Ilisia, Neapoli, Mets, Neos Kosmos, Agios Artemios, Pagrati, Votanikos, Metaxourgeio, Gazi, Petralona, and Rouf. This freeze can be extended until December 31, 2026, via joint ministerial decisions. The freeze may also