Greece is preparing to loosen longstanding restrictions on combining neighboring apartments, shops and offices, potentially making it easier for property owners and businesses to expand their premises without securing approval from every owner in a building.
The proposed changes, included in draft legislation released for public consultation by the Ministry of Environment and Energy, would allow adjoining properties on the same floor to be physically connected even when they belong to different buildings or stand on separate plots of land.
The most significant departure from existing practice is the removal of the requirement for unanimous consent from co-owners of apartment buildings, a frequent obstacle to property redevelopment in Greece.
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Under Article 70 of the bill, merging adjacent, separately owned units would generally require approval from owners representing at least 67% of the ownership interests in each affected property, rather than agreement from everyone in the buildings involved.
The provision would apply regardless of restrictions contained in existing condominium agreements or building regulations, potentially overriding private arrangements that have historically complicated such projects. For businesses, the implications could be considerable.
A retailer occupying two neighboring ground-floor shops in separate apartment buildings could connect them to create a larger commercial space without relocating. Similarly, a company could combine offices in adjoining buildings, even if some other property owners objected.
Residential properties would also benefit. Someone purchasing two adjacent apartments in different buildings could potentially turn them into a single home, provided the units are on the same level and meet the legal requirements.
The legislation nevertheless maintains important safeguards.
Any structural modifications would have to preserve the buildings’ structural integrity. Although the proposal generally retains consent requirements for interventions affecting load-bearing structures, it introduces exceptions allowing certain works to proceed without unanimous approval when engineering assessments establish their safety.
Some reinforcement projects would face additional restrictions, while qualifying work confined to the interiors of the affected properties could be undertaken at the expense of the owners seeking the merger.
The bill would also permit previously combined properties to be separated again, subject to the same conditions.
