Athens Airbnb permit freeze beginning to slow growth, mayor says

29 July 2026 Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said the municipality’s decision to suspend new short-term rental permits in several districts is starting to produce results, helping to slow the spread of Airbnb-style accommodation in the city’s most visited neighbourhoods. Speaking on Tuesday and citing a new study by the municipality’s Sustainable Tourism Observatory, Doukas said the data supports the conclusions of the city’s Tourism Carrying Capacity Study. “According to the latest data, it appears that the suspension of new short-term rental permits in the areas where it is applied is paying off,” he said.

The mayor stressed that while tourism remains essential to Athens’ economy, protecting residential areas is equally important. “Athens needs tourism, but it also needs neighbourhoods that remain alive for their residents,” Doukas said. He noted that 60% of all tourist beds in the municipality are concentrated in the 1st Municipal District, which covers much of the historic centre.

“This alone shows that we cannot treat all areas in the same way.” According to the municipality, the annual growth rate of short-term rentals in districts covered by the permit suspension slowed to between 1.7% and 5.4% in the 2024–2025 period, compared with 18–20% growth in 2023–2024 before the measure took effect. “The data is a first indication that the measure is working as a mechanism to slow down the further spread of short-term rentals,” the municipality said. “However, as the existing stock remains active, tourist pressure is stabilising without yet subsiding.” Strong overall tourism growth The study, covering 2018–2025, shows a strong post-pandemic rebound.

In 2025 the Municipality of Athens recorded 19,071 tourist accommodation units, up from 14,288 in 2018. Available tourist beds exceeded 105,000, a rise of 24.3%. Airbnb-style rentals reached 18,769 units in 2025 — an increase of 33.5% since 2018 and nearly 60% higher than in 2021.

The number of hotels rose by 29.1% over the same period. Overnight stays per resident almost tripled, rising 183.7%, while the number of tourists per resident increased by 142.2%. “These figures reflect that tourist activity across Athens neighbourhoods is increasing at a much higher rate than the increase in available accommodation,” the municipality said, underlining the need for continuous monitoring of impacts on housing, infrastructure an…