Greek islands have emerged as Greece’s most concentrated short-term rental hotspots, with destinations such as Serifos, Kythnos and Sifnos recording far more registered properties per resident than the national average, according to a new study.
The findings show that island and coastal destinations have particularly high concentrations of rental accommodation relative to their populations, even when larger cities have more properties overall.
The study, published in the journal “Tourism and Hospitality,” examined 104,999 short-term rental property registrations across 333 municipality-level areas. Researchers used registration records from 2025 and population figures from Greece’s 2021 census to compare destinations of different sizes.
Serifos recorded the highest concentration, with 273.75 registrations per 1,000 residents. Kythnos followed with 234.06 and Sifnos with 181.85. The coastal destinations of Kassandra and Sithonia registered 175.56 and 175.50, respectively.
The national rate was 10.02 registrations per 1,000 residents. The analysis distinguishes places with large numbers of rentals from those where registrations are unusually high compared with their resident populations.
Greek islands lead rental hotspots by population
The researchers identified 34 high-intensity areas, many of them on islands or along the coast. These municipalities averaged 123.36 registrations per 1,000 residents. Their median permanent population was just 2,820, showing how rental activity can occupy a substantial place in relatively small communities.
Another 50 municipalities were classified as specialized rental markets, averaging 40.23 registrations per 1,000 residents. Together, the high-intensity and specialized groups represented about a quarter of the areas examined but accounted for 60.52% of all registered short-term rentals.
By contrast, 177 areas fell into the lowest-intensity category. They accounted for more than half the municipalities studied but only 8.09% of registrations, with many located inland.
Overall, 122 areas exceeded the national population-adjusted average, and 55 registered more than four times that level. The study also found that the 20 largest rental markets held 48.44% of registrations nationwide. About 80% were concentrated in just 75 municipality-level areas.
Large rental markets do not always have the highest intensity
Researchers said the figures reveal an important difference between the total size of a rental market and its importance relative to the resident population. Athens stands out for its overall rental activity, while smaller tourism destinations become more prominent when measured per resident.
The findings highlight how differently short-term rentals are distributed across Greece, from major urban markets to smaller island and coastal communities. Researchers said these differences could help local authorities develop tourism policies that reflect the conditions of individual destinations.
The results also point to the importance of considering local population size when assessing rental activity, rather than relying solely on the total number of registered properties.
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