About this Episode
"In this episode of Greek News in English, Luca and Lane explore a contentious proposal by Greece's Federation of Property Owners (POMIDA) advocating for linking tenant rental subsidies ('bonuses') with consistent payment history over the previous year. They discuss POMIDA's example illustrating landlord losses due to unpaid rents and resulting lost tax revenue alongside responses from tenant unions who challenge these claims by highlighting affordability struggles amid rising rents and low wages. The episode delves into broader themes including housing market inequalities, tax evasion concerns among landlords, social implications of proposed tenant registries, and debates over fairness in rental policies based on reporting from The Press Project."
Article Discussed: "«Ρήτρα συνέπειας» πριν την επιστροφή ενοικίου ζητά η «Ένωση Ιδιοκτητών» - «Άμεσο έλεγχο των ενοικίων, μείωση των τιμών και κοινωνική κατοικία» ζητούν ενοικιαστές/στριες - The Press Project - Ειδήσε..."
Author: Θάνος Καμήλαλης
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Episode Transcript
Luca: Welcome to Greek News in English! Today, we're diving into a heated debate unfolding in Greece about rental housing policies. Specifically, the Federation of Property Owners, known as POMIDA, has proposed linking tenant bonuses to their consistency in paying rent. This proposal has sparked a strong response from tenant unions, highlighting tensions between landlords and renters.
Lane: That's right, Luca. The discussion centers around a government bonus given to tenants—essentially a rental subsidy—and POMIDA's suggestion that this bonus should only be granted to tenants who have paid their rent consistently over the previous year. They argue this would reduce losses for landlords and protect tax revenues. But tenant groups see this as punitive and unfair, especially given the realities of high rents and low incomes.
Luca: To get into the details, POMIDA presented an example where a tenant pays 600 euros monthly but stops paying halfway through the year. The landlord ends up going through legal processes to evict them but never recovers the unpaid rent. When tax time comes around, the landlord declares only the rent they actually received — 3,600 euros for six months — and pays taxes on that amount. The remaining six months' rent is never collected or taxed.
Lane: Exactly. And POMIDA points out that this situation harms both landlords and the state because unpaid rent means lost income for owners and lost tax revenue for the government. They question whether it's fair for such tenants to receive a government bonus on top of not paying their full rent. The government has said that the bonus will equal one-twelfth of the declared annual rent.
Luca: But here's where things get complicated: while POMIDA uses 600 euros as an example, official data shows that the average declared rent is only 255 euros per month — much lower than what many tenants actually pay. Even Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis recently acknowledged that 255 euros doesn't reflect reality accurately.
Lane: Right, and that's part of why tenant groups like the Thessaloniki Tenants Union push back hard against POMIDA's proposal. They highlight how many households struggle to pay high rents on low wages — with some paying up to 600 euros on an 880-euro minimum wage — which they call an exploitation rather than evidence of responsibility or 'consistency.'
Luca: The tenants also criticize landlords represented by POMIDA for raising rents unchecked, evicting tenants aggressively, neglecting repairs, and retaliating against those who complain. They warn that proposals like creating a registry of tenants who miss payments could lead to social exclusion and punish poor renters instead of addressing systemic issues.
Lane: And importantly, they accuse some landlords of participating in tax evasion by declaring only half their rental income while keeping large amounts off-the-books as 'black' income. So while POMIDA claims to defend public finances now by pushing for stricter controls linked to bonuses, tenant groups say this stance ignores decades of landlord tax avoidance.
Luca: So summing up: we have landlords wanting stricter rules tying rental subsidies to payment history to protect their income and public tax revenue; meanwhile tenants argue these measures unfairly target vulnerable renters struggling with high costs amid limited protections or affordable housing options.
Lane: "Exactly, Luca. This debate highlights deep tensions in Greece’s rental market between property owners seeking security and compensation versus tenants facing affordability challenges and precarious living conditions. It raises broader questions about fairness in housing policy and how best to support both sides without exacerbating inequalities. Thanks for joining us today on Greek News in English as we unpacked this complex issue affecting many lives across Greece."
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