Greece is expected to delay the introduction of mandatory bank payments for rent, as key preparations for the new system remain incomplete less than three weeks before its scheduled launch on October 1, 2026.
The main obstacle is the delayed activation of the Property Ownership and Management Registry (MIDA), the digital platform that will support the new rental payment system. The platform is not yet operational, while a decision setting out the detailed rules for paying rent through banks is also pending.
According to information cited by Greek media, the Ministry of National Economy and Finance and the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) are preparing to announce a new extension.
Property owners seek at least six-month delay
The Greek Property Owners’ Federation (POMIDA) has also called for the implementation date to be postponed, arguing that mandatory bank payments are directly linked to the operation of MIDA.
The federation says the registry should first become operational, after which property owners should be given time to declare the bank accounts, including IBANs, into which their tenants’ rent will be paid.
Only then, it argues, should the new system take effect so that monthly rent payments can be properly monitored.
POMIDA is calling for the mandatory bank-payment requirement to be postponed for at least six months from the date the new MIDA application for declaring rental information becomes operational.
Proposed exemptions
POMIDA is also renewing its request for exemptions from the penalties that will apply under the new system.
Among its proposals are exemptions for:
- Rents of up to €500 per month
- Rental agreements between parties aged over 70
- Cases in which rent has already been paid in advance
- Rents that have been seized or assigned to third parties against a debt
- Amounts deposited with Greece’s Deposits and Loans Fund, provided such payments are explicitly recognized as an accepted form of rent payment
The federation is also seeking clearer rules for properties with multiple owners.
It proposes that the full rent for a jointly owned property should be allowed to be paid into a joint account belonging to the co-owners, into the account of one of them, or into the account of an authorized third party, as long as the account has been declared in MIDA.
A similar provision is being sought for rents collected through legal representatives, lawyers, property management companies or other authorized persons.
What the new system means for tenants and landlords
Once the new rules take effect, rent payments made through banks will be linked to specific penalties for both tenants and landlords who continue using cash.
Tenants who pay their rent directly in cash would lose the annual rent refund, as well as any government assistance or benefit linked to their tenancy.
Landlords who continue to collect rent outside the banking system would lose a 5% tax deduction on rental income. As a result, a larger portion of their rental income would be subject to taxation, increasing their tax bill.
