Housing in Greece

Most newcomers in Greece rent from private landlords. Leases are registered electronically with the tax authority AADE. This registration matters because the state's housing support (the housing allowance, the yearly rent rebate and student housing aid) is checked against the registered lease.

Renting a home

• The e-lease: the landlord declares the lease to AADE (Δήλωση Πληροφοριακών Στοιχείων Μίσθωσης) online by the end of the month after the lease starts or changes. You, as tenant, then accept the declaration in your TAXISnet account. It must also record the energy performance certificate (ΠΕΑ) where the property needs one.
• Contract terms: rent, duration, deposit and who pays building charges are agreed in the written contract. Get receipts or pay by bank transfer, and keep a record of the flat's condition when you move in.
• Rent rebate: in November 2025 about 887,000 tenants received one month's rent back from the state (€199.5 million in total). The rebate is based on rent that has been declared, so make sure your lease is registered and accepted.

Housing allowance (Επίδομα Στέγασης)

Paid monthly by OPEKA to low-income households that rent their main home, under a registered e-lease (2026):

• Amount: €70 a month for the applicant plus €35 for each other household member, up to €210 a month. Single-parent families get €70 more for the first child.
• Income limit: €7,000 a year for a single person, plus €3,500 for each other member, up to €21,000.
• Assets: property up to €120,000 in taxable value for a single person (more for larger households); savings up to €7,000, plus €3,500 per extra member.
• Residence: at least 5 years of legal and permanent residence. Third-country nationals (except ethnic Greeks and EU citizens) need 12 years.
• Apply online yourself, or through your municipality or its Community Centre (Κέντρο Κοινότητας).

Students and low-income households

• Student housing allowance: €1,500 a year for university students who rent a home in another city to study. Family income must be no more than €30,000, plus €3,000 for each dependent child after the first. Students must be Greek or EU citizens and must have passed half of the previous year's courses. Applications run from 1 to 30 June.
• Minimum guaranteed income: very low-income households can also get the minimum guaranteed income (see unemployment). Your municipality's Community Centre can advise on other local help.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• If the landlord does not declare the lease, or you do not accept it online, you cannot get the housing allowance or the rent rebate.
• Rent paid in cash without a registered lease leaves you with no proof of tenancy in a dispute.
• The housing allowance uses the income on your last tax return, so file a return even with low income.
• Check that the e-lease shows the right rent and dates; corrections need an amended declaration from the landlord.

Official guidance: OPEKA: housing allowance, Mitos: housing allowance, Mitos: lease declaration, Mitos: student housing allowance, Ministry of Finance: rent rebate