Renting an apartment in Athens: the checks that matter

Two flats at the same rent can cost very different amounts to live in. In most Athens apartment buildings you also pay a share of the building's running costs, the koinochrista (κοινόχρηστα), and you pay your own electricity, water and internet. Ask about all of them before you decide.

Shared charges usually change with the season. Where a building has central heating, the winter statements are often the ones that matter. Ask to see one recent winter statement and one summer statement for this flat, with the building total and the flat's own share both visible.

Ask which recurring charges, repairs and planned works you would be asked to pay. Check the lease and building documents, and seek advice where responsibility is unclear. A verbal monthly figure does not settle that question. One building-management company lists cleaning, lift maintenance and common-area electricity and water among a building's running costs, a useful list to ask about (ATLAS FAQ).

Ask how the flat is heated, who controls it and how it is billed. Radiators in the rooms do not show that the system runs, so ask: did the building actually run central heating last winter, and who decides its hours? “Autonomous” heating does not always mean a separate boiler or a separate bill. A flat can have its own controls and still rely on shared equipment, with a fixed part of the cost shared. Ask what equipment serves this flat, whether it is shared or independent, and which costs you would pay directly and which through the shared statement.

Many flats heat water with a rooftop solar water heater (ηλιακός θερμοσίφωνας, iliakos thermosifonas) and an electric back-up, or with an electric water heater (θερμοσίφωνας, thermosifonas) that is switched on before use. A heater you can see on the roof does not confirm which one serves this flat. Ask the owner which heater does, and to explain the controls, rather than trying unfamiliar switches yourself. With their permission, run a hot tap during the viewing.

• Shutters and awnings. With the owner's or agent's permission, open and close the shutters (ρολό or παντζούρι) and any awning (τέντα). They matter for summer heat. Note any that stick, and ask whether they will be fixed before you move in.
• Windows. Check that each one closes properly and locks. Ask whether the glazing is single or double, and listen to the street with the windows shut.
• Damp. Look at corners, behind furniture, around window frames and in the bathroom. If you see marks, peeling paint or notice a smell, ask what caused it and what was done. A viewing cannot diagnose damp, but a straight answer tells you a lot.

Ask which floor the flat is on as it is numbered in the building. A ground floor (ισόγειο) or semi-basement (ημιυπόγειο) can be darker and closer to the street; a top-floor flat can be hotter in summer. If there is a lift, ask whether you can use it, check whether it stops at your floor and whether it would fit a suitcase, a pushchair or the furniture you plan to bring.

For fixed internet, the gov.gr broadband maps service is a useful first look at which networks are reported in an area. It is not a guarantee for one flat, so confirm with one or two providers using the exact address before you sign.

Mobile signal can be weak inside thick walls or lower floors. Make a short call from the bedroom, the kitchen and the room you would work in.

“Furnished” and “with appliances” mean different things to different owners. Walk through the flat with the owner or agent and list what stays: furniture, appliances, air-conditioning units, curtains, light fittings. Then list anything that needs fixing and agree who does it and before when. Both lists belong in writing, not in a message you might lose.

Many Athens streets host a weekly street market (λαϊκή, laiki). It is handy for shopping, and on market mornings the street may be busier, noisier or closed to cars. Arrangements differ from street to street, so check posted street signs or the municipality, as well as asking a neighbour or the kiosk nearby which day it is held and whether it affects your entrance or parking. Visit once in the evening too, if you can.

Plenty of conversations at a viewing happen in English, but owners and building managers do not always speak it. These short questions are simple and polite, and they cover the checks above.

On the day you get the keys, and with the owner's agreement, take dated photos of the condition of each room and of the meters. Keep other people and private papers out of the frame. Note the electricity and water meter readings, count the keys and fobs, and sign the inventory with the owner. Keep copies of everything.

Leases in Greece are also recorded with the tax authority. The landlord submits a lease information declaration through AADE online, and the tenant is usually asked to accept it with their own tax credentials (AADE notice). That declaration is a separate record: it does not replace a written rental agreement that sets out the terms. Ask how it will be handled, and take legal advice on the agreement itself.