Μake us preferred on Google Higher building coefficients, the possibility of adding extra floors, and new requirements for roads, green spaces and public areas are among the provisions outlined in studies for Greece’s Building Coefficient Reception Zones (ZYS), which have been submitted for public consultation by the Ministry of Environment and Energy.
Under the proposals currently under consultation — regardless of whether all the measures ultimately go ahead — the transfer of unused building rights could enable an additional 1,854,688 square meters of construction across 26 municipal districts. The areas are located in northern Athens, Achaia, Heraklion, Chania, Magnesia, Phthiotis, Argolis, Drama and Kastoria.
What Is Being Created
A total of 91 Building Coefficient Reception Zones are proposed for these municipal districts.
The first round of studies covers 194 zones across 50 municipal districts. This means that another 103 proposed zones, spanning 24 additional municipal districts, will gradually be submitted for public consultation in the coming period. These include 37 additional zones in eastern Attica, 55 in Central Macedonia, eight in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, and three in Central Greece.
The zones are a key prerequisite for the operation of Greece’s building coefficient transfer system through the Digital Land Bank. The system allows property owners to make use of building rights that cannot be exercised on the property where they originally arose.
3,837 Active Building Rights Certificates
According to available data, there are currently 3,837 active building coefficient transfer certificates, corresponding to approximately 428,600 square meters.
At the same time, the potential supply of building rights across all the areas covered by the 194 proposed zones is estimated at approximately 16.4 million square meters.
Where — and by How Much — Building Coefficients Could Increase
The studies propose the following increases in building coefficients within the designated zones:
- In Kifissia, from 0.50 to 1.00.
- In Lykovrysi, from 0.80 to 1.00.
- In industrial areas of Metamorfosi, from 1.00 to 1.60.
- In Nea Erythraia, from 0.60 to 0.70.
- In Nea Ionia, from 0.80 to 1.40, and from 1.00 to 1.60 in both industrial areas.
- In Neo Psychiko, from 1.20 to 1.30.
- In Filothei, from 0.60 to 0.80.
- In Psychiko, from 0.60 to 0.80.
- In Papagou, from 1.00 to 1.20.
- In Cholargos, from 1.20 to 1.50, depending on the specific planning district.
- In Chalandri, from 0.80 to 1.30, depending on the specific planning district.
What the Building Coefficient Ranges Mean
It should be clarified that the ranges shown represent the minimum and maximum values of the individual proposals. They do not indicate a uniform increase across an entire regional unit, but rather apply to specific city blocks.
Fears of Possible Backlash
Following the backlash over the blanket measures allowing increases in building heights under Greece’s new Building Regulations Code (NOK), which were ruled unconstitutional by the Council of State, the question now is whether municipalities will launch a new round of opposition — this time over the proposed additional building rights.
The final adoption of the Building Coefficient Reception Zones requires the completion of the public consultation and the prescribed approval process. This will culminate in presidential decrees, which must undergo legal review by the Council of State, Greece’s highest administrative court.
In the meantime, while the details remain uncertain, TA NEA, with the assistance of surveyor and urban-planning engineer Grammati Baklatsi, presents the key information prospective buyers and property owners need to know in 10 questions and answers.
What Is the Transfer of Building Coefficients?
The transfer of building coefficients allows, under strict conditions, unused building rights from one property to be transferred to another property in a designated area.
For example, a listed building may have unused building rights that cannot be exercised without compromising its protected character. If the right is formally recognized and approved, its owner may make it available through the prescribed mechanism.
The buyer, in turn, does not acquire an unrestricted right to build. Their property must be located within an officially designated Building Coefficient Reception Zone and meet all applicable requirements.
Who Does the Transfer of Building Coefficients Concern?
The system concerns two categories of property owners: those who hold building rights they cannot use on their own property, and those who wish to acquire additional building capacity.
Which Property Owners Can Sell Building Rights?
Eligible owners include those who own:
- Listed buildings whose permitted building coefficients cannot be fully used because of preservation restrictions.
- Buildings designated as monuments and subject to building restrictions.
- Properties affected by street-planning designations and compulsory expropriation for the creation of public or community-use spaces.
- Properties within an approved urban plan or settlement boundaries, located in archaeological sites or historic areas where construction is restricted or prohibited.
- Properties subject to special, officially established building restrictions, provided they fall within the cases covered by the legislation governing the transfer of building coefficients.
Who Can Buy Building Rights?
Potential buyers are owners of plots located within officially designated Building Coefficient Reception Zones, provided additional construction is permitted on the specific property. The legislation also provides for the possibility in certain special cases.
What Is Planned for Properties in “Category 5”?
“Category 5” refers to unauthorized buildings or structures with particularly serious planning violations.
The Digital Land Bank has been linked to proposed solutions for certain cases, involving the acquisition of building rights and compliance with additional legal requirements. This does not mean that the announcement of the proposed zones automatically legalizes such properties, or that all unauthorized Category 5 buildings are now eligible for inclusion in a legalization process.
For example, if a building permit allows construction of 150 square meters but the building actually covers 280 square meters, the excess construction amounts to 130 square meters, or approximately 87%.
If a full assessment establishes that the property falls into Category 5, its owner could examine the possibility of acquiring building rights under the proposed mechanism — but only if the relevant procedure is activated and all legal requirements are met. Purchasing building rights does not, by itself, legalize the building.
How Much Building Capacity Can Be Transferred, and How Is Its Value Determined?
Consider, for example, a listed building on a 300-square-meter plot, with a building coefficient of 2.0 and an existing building area of 250 square meters.
The theoretical maximum building area is 600 square meters, leaving an arithmetic difference of 350 square meters. This does not mean that all 350 square meters can automatically be transferred. The property’s legally permitted building capacity, any special restrictions and formal recognition of the transferable right must first be assessed.
Nor is the arithmetic difference sufficient to determine the price. The financial value will be established under the applicable valuation rules and the legally prescribed transaction process, once the system becomes operational.
What Are Building Coefficient Reception Zones, and How Can Interested Parties Find Them?
Building Coefficient Reception Zones are designated areas to which additional building rights may be transferred, provided the zones are formally established.
Market demand alone is not enough. Land-use rules, existing building density, permitted heights, the road network, parking, public spaces and infrastructure must all be taken into account.
The precise boundaries and proposed terms of each zone should be checked against the maps and supporting documents accompanying the studies when they are published and submitted for consultation.
Important: Announcing the number of proposed zones does not mean they have been approved, nor does it guarantee that all of them will be formally established without changes.
When Will the Digital Land Bank Become Operational?
The platform has entered a pilot phase, with functions focused mainly on preparing and registering information about building-rights certificates.
The extension of the pilot period until the end of 2026 does not guarantee that transactions involving building coefficients will begin immediately afterward.
Full implementation requires completion of the studies, public consultation, the relevant official opinions, issuance of the required presidential decrees and the operational launch of the transaction system.
As a result, there is no reliable, single start date that applies to all property owners.
What Can Interested Property Owners Do Now?
Owners of listed or otherwise restricted properties can ask an engineer to review their property titles, building regulations, restrictions and any existing building coefficient transfer certificate.
Those who already hold a certificate should seek information about the procedure for registering it.
Owners of unauthorized buildings should check which legal options are currently available for their particular case.
Prospective buyers of additional building rights should wait for the final regulations governing the zones.
What Should Buyers of Building Rights Be Aware Of?
Even after a Building Coefficient Reception Zone is approved, this does not mean that every plot within its boundaries will be eligible for the same increase in building capacity.
The specific property, its restrictions, the permitted building envelope and any additional requirements must all be examined.
Furthermore, the cost of purchasing building rights is not the total cost of a construction project. Licensing, architectural and engineering studies, and construction expenses still apply.
For this reason, property owners should not make investment decisions based solely on a map showing a proposed zone.
