Greece’s draft 2027 budget, due in parliament on 5 October 2026, will carry the housing measures announced at the Thessaloniki International Fair (ΔΕΘ). The overall package costs €2.2 billion in 2027. Here is what the housing part contains, and what the latest data says about its likely effect.
The draft budget goes to parliament’s economic affairs committee on Monday 5 October, with final approval expected in December. The fair package costs €2.2 billion in 2027 and €605 million in 2026. The largest item named is pension support, at €879 million a year. Housing is a smaller but visible part.
The numbers
| Measure | Key figures | Timing / status |
|---|---|---|
| “My Home 3” (Σπίτι μου 3) loans | €2 billion budget; 17,000 to 20,000 households; home value cap €300,000 (was €250,000); loan cap €230,000 (was €190,000); age limit 55 (was 50); up to 90% of value | Announced; due to start early 2027 |
| ENFIA property tax abolished in small settlements | Threshold raised to 2,000 residents (from 1,500); 131 more communities; about 62,000 more properties | Announced for 2027 |
| Rent support for teachers and health staff outside Attica and Thessaloniki | About 50,000 people; up to four months’ rent by 30 November 2026 | Payments 25 September and 30 November 2026 |
| Short-term rental freeze, central Athens and Thessaloniki | No new registrations | In force to 31 December 2026; extension to 31 December 2027 announced |
| Transfer tax for non-EU buyers of homes | 3% rising to 15% | Announced; later reports give 1 July 2027 |
Income limits for My Home 3 are €25,000 for single people, €35,000 for couples and €39,000 for single parents.
What is driving it
The measures respond to sustained price and rent rises. The Bank of Greece reported on 15 September that apartment prices rose 5.5% year on year in the second quarter of 2026. That is slower than the 8.3% average for 2025, but still well above zero.
Supply is starting to respond. ELSTAT data published on 28 September showed 3,118 building permits in June 2026, up 21.5% on June 2025. Over the 12 months to June, permits rose 10.1% to 31,707.
The pressure is uneven. By the Bank of Greece’s regional figures, second-quarter prices rose 5.0% in Athens and 4.7% in Thessaloniki, but 7.1% in “other areas” outside the big cities.
How the short-term rental freeze works
The freeze covers the 1st, 2nd and 3rd municipal districts of Athens, including Plaka, Koukaki, Pangrati and Metaxourgeio, and the historic centre of Thessaloniki. The freeze is legislated to 31 December 2026 and can be extended by ministerial act, according to the government’s housing policy portal. Under the draft housing bill put to consultation in June 2026, a property in a restricted zone loses its short-term rental registration when it changes owner. Penalties start at 50% of the rental income earned, with a minimum of €20,000.
What it means for buyers
Most of the package targets Greek residents rather than buyers from abroad. My Home 3 is linked to income limits and borrower age. Its likely market effect is more financed demand in the band up to €300,000.
For buyers from abroad, three items matter. The planned 15% transfer tax would raise entry costs for non-EU individuals without long-term residence. The short-term rental freeze limits the rental strategy available in central Athens and Thessaloniki until 31 December 2026 under current rules, and to the end of 2027 if the announced extension is enacted. The ENFIA change lowers holding costs only in small settlements.
The draft budget is not yet law. Details of each measure will depend on the bills and ministerial decisions that follow.
Our view
The package mostly adds demand support while restricting some outside demand. A €2 billion loan scheme with a higher €300,000 cap is likely to support prices in that band rather than lower them. The data shows price growth slowing and permits rising, which gives the supply side some room to catch up. On the published figures, the measures look more likely to slow rent and price growth at the margins than to reverse it.
Buyers should confirm how this applies to them with a Greek lawyer or accountant.
