The mayor of Athens, Haris Doukas, requests POMIDA’s cooperation on issues related to the difficulty of finding housing in Athens, and related to short-term rentals, closed apartments and rent increases, in a sharp letter to the president of the Federation, Stratos Paradias.
This is a response letter to a similar one that POMIDA had addressed to the mayor of Athens, requesting a 5% reduction in the annual household and professional cleaning and lighting fees for 2026, in view of the preparation and adoption of the budget of the Municipality of Athens for the next fiscal year.
Mr. Doukas expresses his surprise that the letter from POMIDA “is addressed only to the Municipality of Athens and not to the Central Union of Municipalities and Communities or even to the Regional Union of Municipalities of Attica”, thus limiting, as he points out, the scope of its request to the limits of the municipality of Athens.
At the same time, he requests the cooperation of POMIDA for real estate in Athens on certain issues, which are “necessary in order to normalize access to housing, which has become a luxury and not only for vulnerable households”, as he states.
Specifically, he requests that ways be found together on how to open the thousands of closed apartments, on how to have effective rules on short-term rentals and on the management of excessive increases in real estate rents “which constitute a crucial blow to the living standards of households and professionals”.
Mr. Doukas also asks POMIDA to demand from the government that the revenues from the short-term rental resilience fee, which are collected from the members of the Federation, be transferred to the municipalities, in order for the cities to improve their infrastructure and services and in accordance with the example of other European countries.
“Your response to these issues will demonstrate your interest in the citizens,” states Doukas’ letter.
For its part, POMIDA is calling for a reduction in municipal fees, something that, as stated in the Federation’s letter, was rejected by the municipal authority last year.
“The annual cleaning and lighting fees are an unbearable amount, not only for households but also for the businesses of our city, especially today when the cost of electricity, the bills of which contribute to the municipal fees, is still at high levels,” the letter emphasizes, adding that “such a decision of yours will be highly appreciated by our organization and all Athenian citizens, and will set the right example for other local authorities in our country.”
