Filenews 21 September 2024 - by Adamos Adamou
Registrations in the relevant register of premises rented online and through platforms such as Airbnb have recently increased.
The registration in the register of the Deputy Minister of Tourism is mandatory by law, in order to be able to advertise and consequently be available to let, but a significant number of such premises continue to be outside the register. In fact, according to some estimates, about half of the properties advertised on various platforms, which some estimates put at about 15,000.
However, as mentioned, lately and as a result of a campaign by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism and other services, the number recorded in the register records a continuous increase.
According to the latest data obtained by "F", in mid-September the number of accommodations registered in the register of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism rose to 7,800, from 7,312 in July this year.
In other words,500 properties were registered in less than two months. It is noted that in April last year the registered accommodation in the register of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism amounted to only 4,765. As we have been told, 7,800 corresponds to about 35,000 beds.
In addition, a large number of applications are pending approval for registration, as reported to us by a competent source of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, which, as we were told, is essentially a process that is in full swing. Thus, leaving open the possibility of a new campaign in the context of the efforts of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism to combat illegality in this sector, with hoteliers exerting pressure in this direction due to the unfair competition they denounce.
The registration fee for self-catering accommodation in the register of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism – which is done only electronically through the website of the Deputy Ministry and by submitting specific data and certificates – amounts to €222 every three years for each self-catering accommodation.
According to the provisions of the relevant legislation, "anyone who maintains or operates self-catering accommodation without a registration permit, or whose registration permit has been revoked, is guilty of an offence and, in case of conviction, is liable to imprisonment not exceeding one (1) year or a fine not exceeding five thousand euros (€5,000) or to both of these penalties, If the offence continues after his conviction, he is guilty of a further offence and is liable to a further fine not exceeding two hundred euros (€200) for each day of continuation of the offence".
