Unpaid rent is a landlord's most common fear — and the situation where mistakes in the first weeks cost the most months. The good news: for a lease that exists in writing and has been declared, Greek law gives the landlord a comparatively fast route. The order of steps matters.
Step 1: in writing, and calm
Before anything legal, talk — but leave a trace: a message or email recording the debt and whatever arrangement you make. A real settlement (say, staged repayment with dates) is often cheaper and faster than any procedure. But if promises stay promises, do not let the months pile up.
Step 2: the extrajudicial notice — the pivotal document
The formal notice (exodiko) served by a court bailiff is not just a stern letter. It plays a double role: it is the prerequisite for later seeking a payment order for possession, and it is one of the actions that secure uncollected rent against taxation. Often it is enough on its own: a significant share of cases end in payment or departure after it is served.
Step 3: the payment order for possession
If the debt continues, your lawyer asks the court for an order of possession (diatagi apodosis misthiou) — the fastest procedure for recovering the property in rent-arrears cases, which in most instances requires no full trial. It presupposes a written lease and the prior notice; the arrears themselves can be pursued in the same framework, alongside a payment order for the amounts owed.
Step 4: enforcement
If the tenant still does not comply, possession is recovered through a court bailiff. In practice most cases never get this far — but knowing the road exists changes the negotiation too.
In parallel: do not get taxed on rent you never saw
Rental income is pre-filled from the declared lease — received or not. For uncollected rent not to be taxed as income, the prescribed actions (such as the extrajudicial notice, a lawsuit or a court order) must have been taken before the tax return is filed, and the amounts declared in the dedicated field for uncollected rents. The exact conditions are set by tax legislation and get adjusted — confirm them with your accountant or AADE before filing. The essential point: legal inaction costs twice — in the rent and in the tax.
What not to do
- Do not change the locks, and do not cut power or water. Self-help is prohibited — and it recasts the debtor as the 'victim', with liability landing on you.
- Do not accept verbal promises without a record. What is not written down did not happen.
- Do not wait 'one more month' indefinitely. Every month of waiting is another month of debt with doubtful recovery.
You do not have to fight this alone
mamaXO is a property management company, not a law firm — court actions are handled by independent partner lawyers. What we take on: assessing exactly where you stand, coordinating the process, keeping you informed in plain language — and once the apartment is free, re-letting it to a properly screened tenant so it does not happen again. See how it works.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Greek procedures and deadlines change — verify with the official source before acting.
