The Sharing Economy Association (SODIA) representing Airbnb hosts, in an extensive announcement on Friday, urged the government to engage in dialogue with actors in the Short-Term Rentals (STRs) market before legislating, citing an Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) study released in May to support its case.
Far from being the bane of struggling households seeking rented accommodation, Sodia claimed, the AUEB study showed that STRs are actually the “living pulse” of ordinary Greek families and a means to supplement their income.
In its announcement, Sodia asks the government to examine the data in the AUEB study before legislating and take action to put the 2.28 million currently vacant houses on the market, and to invite the people of the STR market to dialogue before enacting laws.
“They are not investors, they are not speculators, they are families, couples, pensioners, young people that use a home, a holiday property, an apartment left to them by their parents to supplement their income,” Sodia’s announcement said.
According to Sodia President Theodora Dima, the AUEB’s study clearly indicates that STRs act to support the Greek economy, boosting tourism, employment and helping the average Greek family.
Based on its findings, STRs add 11 billion euros, or one 20th of the country’s GDP, to the economy each year. Each visitor spends money in local markets, shops, for taxis, cleaning and maintenance companies, leaving wealth in neighbourhoods and ordinary Greeks, rather than in the hands of multinationals.
In addition, they provide work for than 95,000 people (technicians, cleaners, shopkeepers, suppliers) and help rather than compete with hotels.
According to the figures, hotels have had 90 pct occupancy rates and new hotels keep opening, which would not be the case if short-term rentals were putting pressure on them. Conversely, the study suggested that the existence of STRs brings new visitors and additional tourist flows that benefit everyone, with STRs as part of the tourism ecosystem.
Their existence has also benefited domestic tourism, as lower prices make holidays affordable for families that could not previously afford hotel rates.
In addition, up to 80% of ‘hosts’ have just one or two properties and only 0.4-1% of properties is exclusively an STR, or less than 1 in 100 residences, so they do not pose a threat in terms of housing availability.
They are greatly outnumbered by the vacant properties, numbering 2.28 million, while their impact on rents is calculated at less than 1.8%.
According to AUEB, the real reason for high rents are not STRs but the fact that wages are stagnant and vacant houses are not made available.
 representing Airbnb hosts, in an extensive announcement on Friday, urged the government to engage){kind=link}
Bring on the violins, I can’t stop crying. It’s almost as heart breaking as the case of the poor lifestyle Nomads and their special needs that Greek taxpayers must provide for, such as meeting centres and high speed internet in remote locations.
Sure, Greeks are supplementing their incomes this way but MORE than half of AirBnBs are owned by foreigners and their profits leave the country.
Meanwhile the housing crisis is left unaddressed and in my central neighbour hood there are over SIXTY AirBnBs in a one
block radius of my house, most of them empty most of the time.
In my building there are two – one 16m2 for 110 euros/day in the basement (which is considered a bargain!) and one 2 room [36m2] on the first floor for 190 euros /day. In July&August the small one has 1 or 2 overnight rentals per week, in winter perhaps 1 per month. The larger AirBnB has 2 rentals/month in summer and maybe 3 in the whole winter, if that. They are owned respectively by a Finn and an Israeli so the profits leave Greece. The 8 flat building next door has 4 AirBnBs, NONE of whom have paid koinokrista in 2 years, managed by an AirBnB company, and with the same sparse occupancy rate. It is the same low occupancy story throughout the neighbourhood. Yet we are a kilometre from the university where there is a desperate housing situation.
I remain unconvinced!!!!