By Lei Chen — Founder & Co-Founder, Santheos.
English summary of “Beyond Kolonaki: Why Rental Growth Is Reshaping the Entire Athens Property Market”. Written 14 October 2026; published on Santheos on 21 October 2026.
Rental demand beyond premium addresses
Lei Chen examines residential demand across Athens, beyond the familiar premium districts. Access to employment, transport, schools and daily services can matter as much as an address’s prestige. Renovated homes may meet needs that older stock does not, but the suitability and costs of each apartment still require separate assessment.
The article compares XE advertised rents for homes of up to 80 square metres in Q3 2025 and Q3 2026. Examples include Kallithea at €12.10/m²/month (+4.8%), Chalandri at €14.57 (+13.3%) and Gerakas at €11.70 (+15.2%). A higher percentage increase does not establish a higher net investment return: purchase price, renovation, operating costs and vacancy also matter.
What the rental data can and cannot show
These figures describe advertised asking rents, not signed leases or achieved income. The series is not adjusted for changes in the mix, age or quality of listed homes. Kolonaki figures drawn from Indomio cover a different property mix and observation period and cannot be directly compared with XE’s small-apartment series.
Artemida’s unusually large reported increase coincides with changes in listing counts. It should not be treated as proof of like-for-like growth in achieved rents. Neighbourhood averages are a starting point for research, not a valuation of an individual property.
Chen’s observations about tenant interest in renovated homes reflect professional experience. They are not an audited portfolio-wide statistical study or a measured renovation premium. Measuring that premium would require matched comparisons controlling for location, size, furnishing, lease terms and condition. Santheos project examples illustrate geographic coverage, not proof that every listed apartment is completed or rented.
Assess the property and its likely tenant
General market rental inflation and improvements to a particular apartment are separate influences. Neither guarantees future growth, continuous occupancy or returns. A useful assessment combines comparable local evidence with the property’s condition, acquisition and running costs, and the needs of likely residents.
Read Lei Chen’s full article, rental comparison table and research sources on Santheos.
Source: Santheos Expert Column. This publishing account represents Santheos.
