A month in Patras

A let of under 60 days per contract, with only lodging and bedding, is a short-term rental. A 30-night stay therefore needs a host with an AMA number and pays the climate fee every night. From 60 days without extra services the let is an ordinary lease instead.

At the short-term rental rate the climate fee 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 a night. For a stay that runs across two months with different amounts, the host issues the fee receipt month by month.

The municipal visitors' fee of 0.5% applies to stays under six months with hotels and professional hosts, so a month with one of them carries it. The law has the host show it on the receipt and pay it to the municipality. Private hosts who let one or two properties do not charge it.

Rio has the University of Patras campus and sits about 9 km from the centre by road, at the foot of the bridge. Ano Poli, the upper town around the castle, is about 2 km from Georgiou Square and quieter than the commercial streets below. The centre puts the shops and the bus to the free car parks on the doorstep, with the ferry terminal about 3 km away by road.

Vrachneika, a seaside suburb about 11 km south-west of the centre, suits a month with a car and the gulf on the doorstep.

In the controlled zone of the historic centre a card buys one or two hours, one card per period, and the car must then leave the zone, so a car cannot stay on the street there for days. Permanent residents have a separate scheme. The free car parks in the port zone, south of the open-air pool, at Kalentzotis and south of the lighthouse, are the fallback, with free buses to Agios Nikolaos pier by the centre every 15 minutes from 07:00 to 21:30.

For Ano Poli, Rio and Vrachneika no parking rules were found. Ask the host in writing whether a space comes with the flat.

Visitors from outside the EU without a visa can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen area, Greece included; the UK government says this for British citizens and the US State Department for US citizens. The EU Entry/Exit System has registered non-EU visitors at the external border since it became fully operational on 10 April 2026.

British passports must be issued less than 10 years before arrival and expire at least 3 months after leaving the Schengen area, according to the UK government. EU citizens staying longer than three months may be required to register their residence, according to the EU's Your Europe portal. The Greek rules for longer non-EU stays are not covered here.

Airbnb calls 28 nights or more a monthly stay. The first month is charged up front and released to the host 24 hours after check-in, later months 10 days before each period, and once the stay has started the following month is non-refundable. The Greek rules draw no line at 28 or 30 nights: up to 59 nights the let remains a short-term rental with the fee and the AMA.

Check the listing shows an 11-digit AMA, or a ΕΣΛ or ΜΑΓ number for a licensed property. Budget the climate fee for every night. Count Schengen days across every Schengen country, not Greece alone.