What to expect
| Typical duration | Works 2–8 weeks depending on findings |
|---|---|
| Cost band | Figures live in the cost index |
| Permit required | Registration required · works may need a permit |
| Seasonal constraint | Prepare in the closed season |
Two separate things
- The registration and legal side
- Registration of the property, tax treatment, and the platform requirements. This area has changed repeatedly in Greece and continues to be updated, so it should be confirmed with an accountant or lawyer at the time rather than from any website. What has stayed constant is that the property must be legitimately yours to let and free of unresolved unauthorised structures.
- The building side
- Whether the property can physically support the use. This is our part, it is where properties actually fall short, and it is entirely within your control.
What the building actually needs
A property that works perfectly for a family two weeks a year behaves differently with six guests changing over weekly through August.
- Drainage capacity. The most common failure. A cesspit or connection sized for original domestic use will be overloaded by peak occupancy, and the failure happens during a full house. See drainage and septic.
- Electrical capacity. Guests run everything at once — every air conditioner, the pool pump, the hot tub, induction, chargers. Boards sized before any of that existed trip in August. See electrician.
- Water pressure and hot water. Multiple simultaneous showers in a high-elevation property in peak season is the test case, and it is not the one the system was sized for.
- Safety provision. Balustrade heights and fixings, glazing, pool safety, steps and level changes, lighting on external routes. On a caldera property with drops, this is serious rather than box-ticking. See glass balustrades.
- Ventilation and damp. A property shut between bookings, or over winter, with guests then reporting a smell. See cave house damp proofing.
- Air conditioning capacity and reliability. The single most reviewed system in a Santorini rental. See air conditioning.
What guests notice that inspectors do not
Both matter commercially, and the second list is the one that drives reviews.
- Water pressure in the shower, especially on an upper floor in August.
- Air conditioning that cannot hold a bedroom overnight.
- A pool that is not ready on the first arrival of the season. See pool maintenance.
- Noise between rooms and from neighbouring property — a genuine issue in dense settlements like Fira.
- Damp smell in a property that has been closed.
- Anything that looks unsafe near a drop, which guests photograph.
Preparing a property, in the right order
- Resolve any unauthorised structure position. Nothing else is worth doing until this is clear.
- Survey capacity: drainage, electrical, water. Not appearance — capacity.
- Address safety: balustrades and their fixings, glazing, pool, external routes and lighting.
- Fix damp and ventilation, so a closed property does not smell.
- Upgrade the systems guests judge you on: air conditioning, hot water, water pressure.
- Then the visible works — finishes, outdoor space, kitchen and bathrooms.
- Establish a pre-season maintenance schedule so year two does not repeat year one.
Owners generally want to do this list backwards. The properties that succeed do it in this order.
Questions people actually ask
What registration do I need?
Short-term letting requires registration, and the specifics have changed repeatedly in Greece. Confirm the current position with an accountant or lawyer at the time — this is not an area to rely on any website for, including ours.
Does my property need a licence like a hotel?
Short-term letting and licensed tourist accommodation are different paths with different requirements. If you are operating at a scale or in a manner that looks like accommodation business, take advice. See tourist accommodation licence.
What is the most common thing that goes wrong?
Drainage at peak occupancy, followed by electrical capacity. Both are entirely predictable from an assessment and both fail at the worst possible time.
Do I need to upgrade the pool for guests?
Safety provision and reliable maintenance, yes. A pool that is green or unavailable during a booking is the most damaging single failure in this market.
Can you do the compliance works in the closed season?
Yes, and that is when it should happen — programmed backwards from your first booking, with long-lead items ordered early. See hotel construction and refurbishment.