The lack of bidding residentialhigh rents and tax evasion in real estateamong other things, some of the key issues that the government has been facing in the real estate market lately.
In this context, the government places particular emphasis on strengthening the construction industry and the real estate market, with the aim of increasing the residential reserve, both through the construction of new houses and through the upgrading of the existing building potential.
As the Deputy Prime Minister, Kostis Hatzidakis, recently pointed out, this strategy is a key government priority and is implemented through five beams of interventions. These interventions include, inter alia, the adaptation of the institution of social consideration to make it more attractive and effective, while additional tax initiatives will depend on the overall state of the state budget and the national economy.
He said that recent government decisions, such as the return of a rent to tenants and expanding the capacity of 100% tax deduction for energy and aesthetic costs by 2025, highlight the importance attributed to the housing problem and further announces further announcements.
The five interventions include a reduction in real estate taxation, with significant reliefs in ENFIA, VAT suspension and goodwill tax, as well as tax exemptions for closed real estate or converted to long -term lease. At the same time, the increase in roof supply is promoted through programs such as “save” and “renovate – rent”, while upgrading the utilization of public real estate through the establishment of social consideration.
The latter provides for the construction or reconstruction of housing in public real estate, with at least 30% available with affordable rent, and with the redemption capacity through the “Rent to Own” model. It is also envisaged to set up a central body for the management of social housing, as well as the creation of an electronic register of beneficiaries, with the aim of transparency and effective distribution.
At the same time, the improvement of the regulatory framework is promoted through the preparation of local and special planning plans, as well as legislative interventions in the new building regulation (NOK). The government seeks to balance between the need for modern urban rules, the maintenance of ownership and the strengthening of family and regional development. Horizontal initiatives include the establishment of a permanent inter -ministerial committee on the housing issue, the development of a digital public information platform for available programs, as well as the creation of an observatory for monitoring prices and absorption of resources.
It is also noteworthy that in 2024 there was a historic record of direct foreign investment in the real estate sector, which reached 2 billion euros. At the same time, building activity is expected to recover with the new NOK regulation. Mr Hatzidakis stressed that the view that investments in Greece are limited exclusively to real estate is a myth, as the relevant percentage is 12 points lower than the European average. In addition, he pointed out that housing pressure is not only due to the owners, but mainly to the inadequate supply of houses, especially in high demand areas.
Checks to limit tax evasion
At the same time, AADE launches sweeping checks in 2,500 cash sales cases, undeclared transfers from 2019, as well as old parental benefits and donations. Cases are selected on the basis of objective risk assessment and focus on cases of significant divergence between declared and pre -pre -pre -pre -assessment value, control of the legality of first home exemptions and the use of the tax -free parental benefits of up to EUR 800,000. At the same time, notaries are also carried out in order to determine the submission of the required ENFIA certificates to the transfers.
Particular emphasis is placed on cash transactions, which are now prohibited, and as of January 1, 2026 it is mandatory to pay rents exclusively through bank accounts, regardless of a home type. In this context, the government intensifies the controls and intersections to identify real estate falsely declared as “gaps”. With the tool of analyzing the consumption of electricity by HEDNO, as well as the new register of property and property management (Midas), which is operational in the summer, cases of unstable uses are identified. The false statement of vacant property entails tax evasion, as the State lacks income tax revenue, evidence and municipal fees. In the event of a breach, retrospective charges will be imposed.
Source: RES – EIA