Layman's Guide to the GNTO's "EOT Permit" to Operate short term Visitor rental accommodation.
Holiday Lettings Section 3

If you plan on renting or letting your holiday home or residence in Crete as a foreigner - resident or not, it all depends on how you approach the matter whether an EOT permit from the Greek tourism authorities is needed or not. It is quite permissible for family and friends, as non-paying visitors to stay while you may not be in residence. Then your standard insurance arrangements cover most eventualities. But all other situations require EOT permission.

The EOT Regulations

Under EOT ( Ellinikos Organismos Tourismou) - Greek National Tourist Organisation regulations, short term lets have to obtain an EOT license - that means paid-for, lets that are one month or less. This is to satisfy: safety, regulatory, tax and insurance reasons.

All rooms and buildings on a given property have to be approved, regardless whether they are all for tourist rental or not.

The key regulations govern the room sizes being correct; exit signs and other safety features included in the design and layout. If there is a swimming pool it has strict rules. These include having a lifeguard during all opening times if the pool is deeper than 1.7 metres, plenty of warning signs for swimmers and in areas adjacent to the pool, and clearly marked water depths along the pool. Not only that further regulations at the council level have to met with a town hall permit to operate a pool.

It all sounds very bureaucratic and the regulations can constantly be adjusted for the property for which a license is sought. These include, but not limited to certificates for drinking water, fire safety, tax clearance for the owner (also showing no taxes owed in home country for a foreigner).

And it is bureaucratic, but for the correct reasons. Licenses seem to take forever to be issued. Two years is not unusual. But if a government file number (known as a protocol number in Greece) is issued, and with agreement of the tax office while an application is in process, letting can take place.

Modern constructions can conform more easily for obvious reasons, but beautiful old stone houses it has to be said, are much more difficult - usually become of the smaller room size in olden days, and other limitations.

Until quite recently, if you had a low profile and for less than four apartments being rented out, the requirements while still legally in place, had been rather lax. Having a low profile so as not to upset the local competition was also part of the course. Probably still is today.

The chances are that if your municipality is not a main tourist area then rules will continue to be more manageable.

This advice is informal, not authoritative and you should consult your lawyer and tax consultant, and as well as your architect if you are planning to build. Early declaration and incorporation of your intentions to rent as part of a project are important.

So much effort is required to obtain a license to operate as a tourist lettings facility, it is not surprising that a full license costs 5,000 euros (Currency Converter ) - handled through the architect with whom an owner works - plus all the incidental equipment costs. Foreign residents are no different to locals - we all go through the buraucratic wranglings to obtain the permit. Once given the EOT permit is worth its weight in gold - valid for 5 years, with little effort and expense required for renewals - if all the circumstances remain unchanged.

The BritsinCrete Forum often carries updated information by our members on the subject of the EOT Permit. This is the most recent update (July 2007).

Information in Crete can be obtained from:

Chania EOT Office:
Kriari 40, Megaro Pantheon,
73 100, Chania, Crete
Tel: +30 28210 92624 and 92943
Fax : +30 28210 92624

Heraklion EOT Crete Directorate Head Office:
Papa Aleksandrou E' 16,
71 202 Heraklion Crete
Tel : +30 2810 246106 Fax : +30 2810 246105
E-mail : dtkritis at otenet.gr
Website: www.eot.gr

© 2007 Gerald Brown, BritsinCrete

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