Evicting a tenant in Greece: an owner abroad's guide

Short answer

You cannot remove a tenant yourself: in Greece a tenant is removed against his will only on an enforceable title, through a court bailiff. Where rent is unpaid and the lease is proved in writing, the usual route is an order for return of the leased property, which since the 2025-2026 reform is issued by a lawyer designated for the purpose rather than by a judge. Where that route does not fit, you bring an action before the Court of First Instance. With a power of attorney, a lawyer can take every step for you without you travelling to Greece.

No eviction without a court title

Greek law allows forced enforcement only on an enforceable title. For an owner the relevant titles are a court judgment that is final or has been declared provisionally enforceable, and an order for return of the leased property. The eviction itself is carried out by a court bailiff (δικαστικός επιμελητής), on the written instruction of the landlord (the party in whose favour the title was issued) or the landlord's attorney.

In practice this means that changing the locks or removing the tenant's belongings is not a lawful substitute. The owner obtains a title by one of the two routes below, and the bailiff does the rest.

Route one: the order for return of the leased property

The Code of Civil Procedure provides a written procedure, without a hearing, for an order requiring the tenant to return the use of the property (διαταγή απόδοσης της χρήσης μισθίου). For applications filed from 1 May 2026, the order is issued not by a judge but by a lawyer designated for this task from a list kept at each Court of First Instance, a member of the bar of the court district where the dispute belongs. Under the current text, the conditions for non-payment of rent are:

the rent is in arrears through the tenant's unwillingness to pay (δυστροπία, the law's term) and the start of the lease is proved by a document;
a written demand (όχληση) has been served on the tenant by a court bailiff at least 15 days before the application is filed; it is needed only the first time;
if the tenant pays the arrears within those 15 days and can prove it in writing, the order cannot be issued, unless there have been repeated delays through unwillingness to pay;
the application attaches the document proving the lease, the bailiff's report of service of the demand and any other relevant document;
unpaid rent, common charges, fees and utility bills can be claimed in the same application, if the amounts are proved by documents such as building-charge statements and utility bills.

Route two: an action before the court

If the case does not fit the order procedure, for example because there is no written proof of the lease, the owner brings an action for return of the property. Lease disputes are heard under the special procedure for property disputes of the Code of Civil Procedure, before the Court of First Instance (Πρωτοδικείο); the former magistrates' courts (ειρηνοδικεία) were merged into the Courts of First Instance by a 2024 law.

A refused application for an order does not close the door: the owner may file a new application or bring an action.

From the order to the eviction: the stages

With the order route, the steps typically follow this sequence. How long each takes depends on the tenant, the court district and service of documents, so we do not quote durations in advance.

we check the lease, the arrears and the documents, and confirm which route fits;
a court bailiff serves the written demand on the tenant, and the 15 days run;
the application is filed and the designated lawyer issues the order, or rejects the application if a condition is missing;
a bailiff serves the tenant with an enforceable copy of the order together with a demand to comply (επιταγή προς εκτέλεση);
the tenant may file an objection (ανακοπή) within 15 working days of service; filing it does not stop enforcement, unless a judge grants a suspension on the tenant's application;
once 20 days have passed from service of the demand to comply, the bailiff, instructed by the landlord or the landlord's attorney, carries out the eviction; the order can also be enforced against subtenants and anyone occupying the property through the tenant.

When the lease has ended and the tenant stays

Since 2026 the order procedure also covers a fixed-term lease whose term has expired, including one that continued for an indefinite period after its end, provided both the start and the end of the lease are proved by documents. An additional condition applies: the owner must have served on the tenant an out-of-court notice to return the property at least three months before the end of the fixed term or, where the lease has continued indefinitely after its end, at least three months before the application is filed. In this case enforcement can begin only two months after the order is served on the tenant. The end of the lease means its legal end, not only the date written in the contract: for commercial leases covered by the 2014 law, for example, the lease lasts at least three years even if a shorter term was agreed. We check the lease's legal duration and any extension before choosing this route.

What we need from you

To assess the case and prepare the first step, please send us copies of what you have. Missing items are not always fatal; we tell you what can be replaced.

the written lease and any extensions or amendments;
the lease declaration filed with AADE, the Greek tax authority, and the tenant's acceptance, if available;
a statement of the unpaid months, with bank records of the payments that were made;
any notices or messages already exchanged with the tenant;
your title deed or Cadastre extract for the property;
your Greek tax number (ΑΦΜ), which appears on the order, and a copy of your passport or identity card;
the tenant's full name, tax number if you know it, and contact details;
a power of attorney, once we have sent you the wording.

How we work with owners abroad

Most of this work can be done without you travelling to Greece. You can sign a power of attorney at a Greek consulate, or before a notary where you live with an apostille under the 1961 Hague Convention (or with consular legalisation if your country is not a party to it), and a lawyer then acts for you in Greece. We tell you the exact wording the power of attorney needs for your matter before you sign it. For an eviction it should allow the lawyer to serve notices, apply for the order or bring an action, represent you in court and instruct the court bailiff.

We meet by video call, work in English and Greek, and exchange documents by email. The site also has pages in Turkish (latsoudislaw.com/tr/) and Arabic (latsoudislaw.com/ar/).

Questions clients ask

Can I change the locks if the tenant stops paying?

No. Forced removal is lawful only on an enforceable title, such as an order for return of the property or a court judgment, and it is carried out by a court bailiff.

What if the tenant pays after receiving the demand?

If the arrears are paid within the 15 days and the payment is proved in writing, the order cannot be issued, unless there have been repeated delays through unwillingness to pay. The demand has to be served only the first time.

Does the tenant's objection stop the eviction?

Not by itself. The tenant has 15 working days from service to object, but the objection does not suspend enforcement unless a judge grants a suspension on the tenant's application.

Can I claim the unpaid rent at the same time?

Yes. Unpaid rent, common charges, fees and utility bills can be added to the application for the order, if the amounts are proved by documents.

Sources

This page is general information, not legal advice; the answer in any real case depends on its facts and documents.

L+A advises owners of property in Greece who live abroad, from the first document review to court.

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How do I recover possession of my property in Greece from a tenant while I live abroad?