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Plaka
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Nation / PlaceGR

Plaka

Athens' historic tourist core; under STR registration ban since 2024, extended under Law 5275/2026.

Plaka's freeze on new short-let registrations would last until 31 December 2027 under an extension announced on 5 September by Greece's prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis; no ministerial decision gives it force yet.

Last refreshed: 3 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Key Question

Can you still list a Plaka flat on Airbnb in 2026 or is the registration ban still in place?

Timeline for Plaka

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Background

Plaka is the oldest quarter of central Athens, a dense district of neoclassical houses and Byzantine churches on the northern and eastern slopes of the Acropolis. It is among the most visited neighbourhoods in Greece and one of the highest-demand short-let areas in the capital.

Since 2024 it has been one of the central Athens areas, with Monastiraki, Syntagma, Omonia, Kolonaki and Exarcheia, where new short-let registrations are suspended. The aim is to return short-stay stock to long-term housing.

Law 5275/2026 changed the value of the licences that remain. Short-let registrations in restricted zones no longer transfer on sale or inheritance, so a Plaka flat that earned short-let income sells without the right to relist, and the suspension blocks a new permit.

Key Issues
Rental freeze

Plaka's registration freeze runs longer

Plaka has been covered since 2024 by the suspension of new short-let registrations across central Athens. Law 5275/2026 kept that suspension in March 2026 and carried the model to Thessaloniki, the first spread beyond the capital, with Santorini, Paros, Chania and Halkidiki under review.

On 5 September Mitsotakis told the Thessaloniki International Fair that the freeze in central Athens would run to 31 December 2027 instead of ending with 2026. Until a ministerial decision issues, the end-2026 date stands in law. If the extension is adopted, no new host in Plaka could register before 2028. The freeze works through the Property Registry Number, so it runs on a register Greece already operates.

Common Questions
Is the Airbnb ban in Plaka Athens still in place in 2026?
Yes. The STR registration suspension covering Plaka has been in place since 2024 and was maintained under Law 5275/2026.Source: GTP Headlines
What is the Plaka neighbourhood in Athens?
Plaka is the oldest inhabited neighbourhood of Athens, nestled beneath the Acropolis; it is a maze of neoclassical and Byzantine-era streets and is one of the most tourist-visited and short-term-rental-dense areas in Greece.Source: nomads-and-communities topic context
Can you rent a flat long-term in Plaka, Athens?
Long-term rental availability in Plaka is severely limited; the majority of residential properties have been converted to Airbnb-style short-term lets, making it one of the hardest central Athens neighbourhoods for locals to rent in.Source: nomads-and-communities topic context
How has Plaka changed because of tourism and short-term rentals?
Plaka's permanent population has nearly halved since 2010 as rental conversions have displaced residents; the neighbourhood now functions primarily as a tourist zone, with few working-class or family households remaining.Source: nomads-and-communities topic context