The Sharing Economy Association (SODIA), 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.
SODIA is asking 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 take part in a 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 said.
According to its president, Theodora Dima, the AUEB 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 5% of the country’s GDP, to the economy each year.
Each visitor spends money in local markets, shops, on taxis, cleaning and maintenance companies, leaving wealth in neighborhoods and to ordinary Greeks, rather than in the hands of multinationals.