Property Purchase in Athens

Buying property in Athens (Αθήνα, Athína) usually means buying a flat: in Koukaki, Pangrati or Kypseli near the centre, in the southern suburbs along the coast or in the green northern suburbs. Most buildings are apartment blocks from the second half of the twentieth century. The legal steps are the national ones (AFM, notary, transfer tax, cadastre), explained under property purchase in Greece; the blocks of Athens decide what a buyer's lawyer looks at.

How a purchase usually goes in Athens

The title search is made at the cadastre office that covers the area, and the deed signed before a notary is registered there. The seller provides the engineer's certificate that there are no unauthorised works, the energy certificate and the building's electronic identity; the notary does not sign without them.

What to watch for in Athens

• Antiparochi. Many blocks were built through an exchange in which the landowner handed the plot to a builder in return for some of the flats. The deed of horizontal division (σύσταση οριζοντίου ιδιοκτησίας) fixes each flat's share of the land and the use of the roof and the storage rooms, and it is read together with the flat's own title.
• Semi-open spaces. Balconies closed in with glass, an enclosed ground-floor pilotis or an extra room on the roof are common in Athens; they are legalised before the sale, or the deal stops at the notary.
• Archaeology and heritage. Near the Acropolis and in historic districts such as Plaka, height limits, listed façades and the archaeological service restrict what can be done.
• Shared building costs. Unpaid common charges (κοινόχρηστα) and planned works such as a new lift or façade repairs are asked about at the building's administrator.
• Holiday letting. New short-term rental registrations in the central districts of Athens have been frozen, so a buyer planning to let to visitors checks the rule for the address (see tourist rental licence).

How an English-speaking lawyer helps

The lawyer searches the cadastre, reads the deed of horizontal division and the permits, checks the engineer's papers, negotiates the preliminary agreement and represents the buyer at the notary, under a power of attorney when the buyer is abroad. Non-EU buyers can also ask whether the flat would qualify for a residence permit. The Athens page lists the other services in the city.

Questions and answers

Can a foreigner buy an apartment in Athens?

Yes. Athens is not in a designated border area, so buyers from outside the EU do not face the prior permit required in some border regions. An AFM and a Greek bank account are the practical first steps.

Why does an old Athens flat need an engineer's certificate?

Greek law requires a certificate that the property has no unauthorised works before it can be sold. In older Athens blocks it often brings to light closed balconies or roof rooms that are then legalised.

What is a deed of horizontal division?

The founding document of an apartment block. It sets out each flat's share of the land, the common parts and who may use the roof, the storage rooms and the parking spaces.