Dictionary · Reference

The property terms you'll meet in Greece.

Every concept from a Greek listing, permit or conversation — explained in plain English, sorted A-Z, with a risk level and a real example for each.

Unauthorised construction isn't simply "illegal". Square metres isn't simply "square metres". The gap between what these words seem to mean and what they actually cost you is where buyers get caught. This dictionary closes it.

B2 terms

Medium risknoun · zoning

Building coverage ratio

Συντελεστής Δόμησης/sin-de-le-STIS DHO-mis-is/

The maximum floor area you may build on a plot, expressed as a ratio of plot size. A ratio of 0.4 on a 1,000m² plot allows up to 400m² of building in total.

Why it matters

Dreaming of extending that village house? This ratio decides whether you can, and by how much. Many buyers discover too late that the plot is already "full".

Real example

A buyer planned to add a second floor to a village house. The plot was 250m² with a ratio of 0.4 — allowing 100m² total. The existing house was already 95m². There was room for 5m² more. The extension was impossible.

High risknoun · permits

Building permit

Άδεια Οικοδομής/a-dhi-a i-ko-dho-mis/

The official permit that authorises construction. Every legally built property has one — but many older homes predate modern enforcement, and many newer ones carry additions made after the original permit was issued.

Why it matters

Without a valid permit a property can't be sold with a clean title and banks won't lend. We read the permit file — not just the number — to see what was approved versus what stands today.

Real example

A buyer in Chania discovered the property's 2008 permit covered only the original 120m² — not the extra bedroom and bathroom added in 2015. The bank froze the mortgage until the additions were legalised.

E3 terms

Medium risknoun · compliance

Energy Performance Certificate

Ενεργειακό Πιστοποιητικό/en-er-yia-KO pis-to-pi-I-TI-ko/

A mandatory rating (A+ to H) of a building's energy efficiency — required for every property sale since 2010. It reveals insulation quality, glazing, heating system efficiency and likely running costs.

Why it matters

A rating of F or lower usually means no insulation, single glazing, and expensive winters. The certificate is one of the few documents that hints at the physical reality of a building — not just its legal status. Read it before you view.

Real example

A "fully renovated" apartment had an EPC rating of G. The renovation had been cosmetic — new kitchen, new floors — but the building envelope was unchanged. Winter heating bills exceeded €250/month.

High risknoun · legal

Establishment deed

Σύσταση/SIS-ta-si/

The legal document that creates a horizontal-property regime: it defines the individual units, the common areas, and each owner's percentage share. Filed with the land registry, and required before units can be sold.

Why it matters

A missing or incomplete σύσταση is one of the most common issues in Greek purchases. Your lawyer checks it exists; we check whether what was built matches what it describes.

Real example

An apartment was listed for sale, but the σύσταση had never been filed for the building's top floor — where the apartment was. The owner had lived there for 20 years. Legally, the unit didn't exist. The sale couldn't proceed until the deed was created and registered.

Contextnoun · profession

Estate agent / broker

Μεσίτης/me-SI-tis/

In Greece, estate agents are engaged and paid by the seller. They have no legal obligation to the buyer — and their commission (typically 2–4%) is paid by whichever side the contract assigns it to, almost always the seller's side.

Why it matters

Understanding this — that the friendly agent showing you around, driving you to viewings and offering coffee works for the other side — is the single most important thing a foreign buyer can know. Everything they say serves the seller's interest. That's not corruption. That's how the system works.

Real example

An agent in Crete told a buyer the roof had been "recently renovated". It hadn't — it had been patched. The buyer's PlaceIntel inspection found the entire roof structure needed replacement: €22,000. The agent had no obligation to correct the impression.

H1 term

Medium risknoun · ownership

Horizontal property

Οριζόντια Ιδιοκτησία/o-ri-ZON-di-a i-dhi-o-kti-SI-a/

A form of ownership where each unit in a building is owned separately while the land is jointly owned by all unit-holders — Greece's equivalent of a strata title or condominium regime.

Why it matters

Most apartments are οριζόντια ιδιοκτησία. The key document is the σύσταση, which defines each unit and its share. Without a valid one, a unit may be unsaleable.

Real example

An apartment's σύσταση described a storage room in the basement. The storage room had been converted into a separate studio and rented out — without updating the deed. The buyer inherited an unauthorised conversion and a compliance problem.

I2 terms

Contextnoun · fundamental

Immovable property

Ακίνητο/a-KI-ni-to/

Land and anything permanently attached to it — buildings, walls, trees in the ground. In Greek law, a tree in a pot is κινητό (movable); a tree in the soil is ακίνητο. This distinction matters when negotiating what stays with a house.

Why it matters

When a listing says "ακίνητο includes garden furniture and pergola", check whether the pergola is actually bolted down or freestanding. What's ακίνητο transfers with the sale. What's κινητό doesn't — unless separately agreed.

Real example

A buyer assumed the elegant stone pergola by the pool was part of the sale. It wasn't — it was a freestanding structure the seller planned to take to their new house. It was κινητό, not ακίνητο.

High risknoun · legal

Inheritance

Κληρονομιά/kli-ro-no-MI-a/

Many Greek properties are held through informal inheritance — passed down without a formal declaration of acceptance or probate. The title may still show a grandparent's name decades after their death.

Why it matters

Until a κληρονομιά is legally declared and registered, the heirs cannot sell the property. The process can take months and involves tax filings, acceptance documents, and registry updates. It's one of the most common reasons Greek property sales stall.

Real example

A buyer agreed on a village house. The title still showed the seller's grandmother — who had died 14 years earlier. The inheritance had never been declared. The sale was delayed 5 months while three siblings accepted and registered the inheritance.

M1 term

High risknoun · legal

Mortgage / encumbrance

Υποθήκη/i-PO-thi-ki/

A legal charge on the property — usually a bank mortgage held by the seller. If the υποθήκη isn't cleared (repaid and formally removed) before the sale, the debt can transfer to the new owner.

Why it matters

Every property sale in Greece requires a certificate from the land registry confirming the property is free of υποθήκες. Your lawyer requests this. But the process of clearing a mortgage — especially one held by a Greek bank on behalf of a seller who's left the country — can add weeks to a timeline.

Real example

A seller had emigrated to Australia and stopped paying a €60,000 mortgage 8 years earlier. The bank held a υποθήκη on the property. The buyer's lawyer had to negotiate a settlement with the bank before the title could transfer — adding 3 months to the sale.

N2 terms

Medium risknoun · registry

National Cadastre

Κτηματολόγιο/kti-ma-to-LO-yi-o/

The official register of all land and property in Greece — still being completed, so many areas aren't yet fully recorded. It logs ownership boundaries, easements and encumbrances on each property.

Why it matters

Greece's cadastre is a work in progress: unclear boundaries, overlapping claims, and missing titles are common. Your lawyer checks it — but it rarely catches building-level problems.

Real example

A property's cadastre map showed the plot extending 3m beyond the actual boundary fence. The neighbour had been gardening on that strip for 15 years. Resolving it took 8 months and a lawyer.

Contextnoun · profession

Notary public

Συμβολαιογράφος/sim-vo-leo-YRA-fos/

A public official who drafts, authenticates and registers the final property sale contract. The notary is legally neutral — they represent neither buyer nor seller, and they don't inspect the building.

Why it matters

The notary ensures the transaction is legally valid: correct title, no encumbrances, proper tax paid. But they take the property description from the title deed — they don't verify it against reality. A notary will happily notarise a sale where the building doesn't match the permit. That's not their job.

Real example

A buyer discovered after signing that the notary's contract described a "two-storey residential building" — when the property was actually a ground-floor shop converted into a flat. The contract was legally valid; it was just inaccurate. Correcting the use category cost €4,000 and 4 months.

O2 terms

High risknoun · taxation

Objective tax value

Αντικειμενική Αξία/an-di-ke-i-ME-ni-KI AK-si-a/

The government's assessed value of a property, used to calculate transfer tax and other fees. It's based on zone, age and size — not market price. In many areas the αντικειμενική αξία is close to or above what you're actually paying.

Why it matters

You pay transfer tax (3.09%) on the αντικειμενική αξία, not the purchase price. If the government values the property higher than your negotiated price, you pay tax on the higher number. Always check before budgeting.

Real example

A buyer negotiated a villa down to €220,000. The αντικειμενική αξία was €265,000. Transfer tax was calculated on €265,000 — costing €2,200 more than expected.

High riskadj. phrase · zoning

Outside the town plan

Εκτός Σχεδίου/ek-TOS skhe-DHI-ou/

Land that falls outside an approved town plan. Building rules are stricter: minimum plot sizes are larger (often 4,000m²+), permits are harder to obtain, and services like water, sewage and fibre may not reach the property.

Why it matters

That charming rural house with the huge plot may be εκτός σχεδίου. If you plan to rebuild or extend, the restrictions are severe. Always check before you fall for the view.

Real example

A couple bought a 2,000m² plot with sea views, planning a guesthouse. The plot was εκτός σχεδίου, where the minimum buildable area is 4,000m². No guesthouse was possible. The agent hadn't mentioned it.

P1 term

Contextnoun · authority

Planning authority

Πολεοδομία/po-le-o-dho-MI-a/

The local government office that approves permits, inspects construction and enforces zoning. Every property exists in a relationship with its Πολεοδομία — and that relationship is often complicated.

Why it matters

Extensions, changes of use, renovations and legalisations all need its approval. We can tell you whether a property holds the right approvals — and whether your future plans are likely to be allowed or blocked.

Real example

A buyer wanted to convert a ground-floor apartment into a ceramics studio. The Πολεοδομία required a change-of-use application that took 6 months — because the building's original permit specified residential use only.

R1 term

Medium risknoun · process

Regularisation process

Τακτοποίηση/ta-kto-PI-i-si/

The legal procedure that brings an unauthorised structure into compliance — usually a fee, a surveyor's report, updated plans, and approval from the planning authority.

Why it matters

Many properties with αυθαίρετο additions can be regularised. But not all — cutoff dates and fees change. Knowing whether a property qualifies is critical before you make an offer.

Real example

A buyer's lawyer found two αυθαίρετο additions. One qualified for τακτοποίηση (built before 1983). The other didn't (built in 2011). The second had to be demolished before the sale could proceed.

S2 terms

Medium risknoun · area

Semi-outdoor space

Ημιυπαίθριος/i-mi-i-PE-the-ri-os/

A covered but partially open area — a deep balcony, a veranda, an enclosed porch. Historically excluded from a building's official square-metre count, which led to widespread enclosure of these spaces as extra rooms.

Why it matters

Many Greek homes have a "bonus" room that began as ημιυπαίθριος and was later enclosed without a permit. That extra bedroom may not legally exist — affecting both price and compliance.

Real example

A listing described a "three-bedroom apartment, 95m²". The third bedroom was a formerly open balcony enclosed by a previous owner. It couldn't be counted as living space — and couldn't be sold as a bedroom.

Medium risknoun · measurement

Square metres

Τετραγωνικά/te-tra-go-ni-KA/

The listed size of a property — and often a creative number. It may fold in balconies, storage, parking or shared stairwells, so the usable living area is frequently smaller than advertised.

Why it matters

A "180m² villa" can be 140m² of real living space. Cross-reference the listing against the permit: the permit shows the official surface area, and the gap tells you how much of that 180m² is real.

Real example

A listing advertised "145m² with large terrace". The permit showed 110m² of living space. The remaining 35m² was the terrace, a storage room, and a shared landing — all included to inflate the price per square metre.

T2 terms

Medium risknoun · taxation

Tax office

ΔΟΥ (DOY)/dh-OU/

The public revenue office (formerly εφορία) that issues the property's tax clearance certificate and collects transfer tax. An unresolved tax debt on the property — by the seller — will block any sale until cleared.

Why it matters

Before a sale can complete, the seller must obtain a tax clearance certificate from the ΔΟΥ showing no outstanding debts on the property. Delays here are common — especially with inherited properties where tax filings were never updated.

Real example

A sale was ready to sign at the notary. The ΔΟΥ flagged an unpaid ENFIA (property tax) from three years prior — €1,800. The signing was delayed 11 days while the seller cleared the debt.

High risknoun · legal

Title deed

Τίτλος Ιδιοκτησίας/TEE-tlos i-dhi-o-kti-SI-as/

The document proving ownership. In Greece, titles can be missing, unregistered, based on inheritance that was never formalised, or inconsistent with what actually stands on the land.

Why it matters

Your lawyer checks the title for legal ownership. We check whether the building it describes matches the building on the ground — the gap between the two is where expensive surprises live.

Real example

A property had been inherited by three siblings after their parents' death — but the inheritance was never formally declared. The title still showed the parents' names. The sale required a full inheritance declaration, which took 5 months.

U1 term

High risknoun · planning

Unauthorised construction

Αυθαίρετο/af-THE-re-to/

Any structure built without a permit — a room, a floor, a whole house, a balcony. Extremely common across Greece. Not always a dealbreaker, but the line between what can be legalised and what must be demolished is everything.

Why it matters

An "illegal" extension might be fine after a fee — or might have to come down. An architect can tell the difference from the building file. A lawyer usually can't.

Real example

A seller advertised 180m². The permit showed 140m². The remaining 40m² was an unauthorised enclosure of a ημιυπαίθριος veranda. The buyer used this gap to renegotiate €35,000 off the price.

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