A short-term or temporary contract is necessary, which provides tenants with fewer rights than a long-term contract.
There’s an abundance of self-catering properties for rent in Greece, including apartments, cottages, farmhouses, townhouses and villas. Rents for short-term rentals are usually higher than for long lets, particularly in popular holiday areas, where many properties are let as self-catering holiday accommodation. However, most owners let self-catering properties in resort areas at a considerable reduction during the ‘low season’, e.g. October to March.
The rent for an average one or two-bedroom furnished apartment or townhouse during the low season is usually between €300 to €600 per month, for a minimum one or two-month let.
Rent is usually paid one month in advance with one month’s rent as a deposit. Lets of less than a month are more expensive, e.g. €300 per week for a two-bedroom apartment in the low season, which is some 50 per cent (or less) of the rent in the high season. Many hotels and hostels also offer special low rates for long stays during the low season. Note, however, that when the rental period includes the peak letting months of July and August, the rent can be prohibitively high.
Standards vary considerably, from dilapidated, ill-equipped apartments to luxury villas with every modern convenience. Always check whether a property is fully equipped (which should mean whatever you want it to mean) and whether it has central heating if you’re planning to rent in winter. Rentals can be found by contacting owners advertising in publications and through agents in most areas, many of who also handle rentals.