Greece’s Ministry of Environment and Energy has put out a draft bill that would let owners join neighbouring flats with the consent of owners holding 67% of each unit. Public consultation runs from 10 to 24 October 2026.
The bill’s main subject is the electricity market: it carries Directive (EU) 2024/1711 into Greek law. But the ministry’s summary says it also deals with outstanding spatial, planning and environmental issues. Several of these touch homes and building permits. All of it is a draft bill, not law.
Joining two flats
Adjacent apartments or shops on the same floor could be merged into one functional unit, even where they sit in neighbouring buildings or on different plots. The draft asks only for the consent of owners holding at least 67% of each property involved, not a majority of the whole building.
According to the published provisions, this would apply even where a condominium deed or building regulation asks for more. Legal titles would not merge automatically. Structural safety must be ensured, the owners carrying out the merger can pay for any reinforcement, and the units can later be separated again.
Illegal building works and small works
The draft adds two cases to Category 5, the heaviest category for regularising unauthorised works. One covers properties already declared under the earlier legalisation laws 4014/2011 and 4178/2013. The other covers public and community buildings such as schools, municipal nurseries, sports grounds and welfare facilities.
Rules on “small-scale works”, which need a simple approval rather than a full permit, would also change. Independent heating systems would need only that approval, whatever their cost. Canopies and awnings costing more than €25,000 would need a building permit. Solar panels and small wind turbines stay exempt.
Other provisions extend to 31 December 2027 the deadline for traditional huts in the Evros Delta, and limit spot changes to town street plans: they could not shrink public spaces or raise building coefficients.
What it means for buyers
The merger rule matters to anyone who wants to combine two small flats into one larger home. Under the draft, approval from the rest of the building would no longer be needed, only from the owners of the units being joined. The Category 5 change helps owners of property declared under the older legalisation laws, as well as public and community buildings. Buyers should confirm how this applies to them with a Greek lawyer or accountant.
What happens next
Comments close on 24 October 2026. The ministry then has to finalise the text and send it to the Hellenic Parliament, where details can still change.
