A month in Kefalonia

Under AADE's rules, renting a property for under 60 days, with nothing provided beyond lodging and bedding, is a short-term rental. The host registers the property and shows its AMA on the listing. A let of 60 days or more without extra services goes on the tax records as an ordinary lease instead.

The 60 days count per contract. A renewal agreed during a let is judged on its own length, and a tenant who leaves a lease of 60 days or more within the first 59 days does not turn it into a short-term rental.

We found no official statistic on monthly rents in Kefalonia and no reputable source on deposits or utilities, so this guide gives no figures for them.

The fixed costs come from the law. The climate fee for a short-term rental is EUR 8 a night from April to October and EUR 2 from November to March, which adds EUR 240 to 30 nights in October and EUR 60 to 30 nights in November. A detached house over 80 m2 pays EUR 15 and EUR 4. When a stay crosses from October into November, the host issues a receipt for each month. The visitor fee, 0.75% in Argostoli and 0.5% in Lixouri and Sami, is calculated on the rent where the host charges it.

Argostoli suits a month best: the capital, with the shopping street and the museums on foot, about 9 km from the airport, and a free town bus Monday to Saturday that keeps the car out of the centre.

Lixouri, across the gulf, is the quieter town, linked to Argostoli all year by the car ferry. Lassi, Skala, Sami, Fiskardo and Assos suit a summer month by the sea; check that the property stays open for the whole booking.

Visitors from outside the EU without a visa can stay in the Schengen area for 90 days in any 180-day period, Greece included. The EU Entry/Exit System has been in full operation since 10 April 2026, so non-EU travellers are registered at the border. We did not check the Greek rules for longer non-EU stays, so this guide does not cover them.

EU citizens staying more than three months may have to register their residence with the relevant authority, often the town hall or the local police, according to the EU's Your Europe page. The Greek office and deadline were not verified.

Airbnb calls 28 nights or more a monthly stay. It charges the first month up front and releases it to the host 24 hours after check-in, then charges later payments 10 days before each period. Its long-term cancellation policy applies to every booking of 28 nights or more: the first payment may be non-refundable, and once the stay has started the following month is non-refundable.

Greek law draws no line at 28 or 30 nights. Under 60 days the let is a short-term rental with the AMA and the per-night fee; from 60 days without extra services it is an ordinary lease.

Expecting a month to escape the fees. Under 60 days the climate fee applies to every night, and a hotel or professional host adds the visitor fee on the rent.

A listing with no AMA or licence number. Every short-term rental must show one.

Planning island hops around ferries that stop. The Sami to Ithaca boat runs from 1 May to 24 October on its 2026 timetable; the Lixouri ferry runs all year.

Counting Schengen days in Greece alone. The 90 in 180 rule counts every day in the Schengen area.

Cancelling mid-stay on Airbnb. Once a monthly stay has started, the following month is non-refundable.