Halkidiki as a region of Greece is predominantly a tourist area and therefore properties for rent tend to be available over the summer season when the weather is at its finest. The season in Halkidiki however, can be much longer than in other parts of Greece, especially the islands which are restricted by the timetables of the ferries and flights. If the weather is conducive, because of the easy accessibility to Halkidiki by both land and air, which is possible all year round, tourists will also visit from Easter time and into the autumn when it isn't so busy and so long as there is passing trade most amenities remain open at least until the national bank holiday at the end of October. For this reason we say that the tourist season lasts until the weather changes!

The reason that the options of rental properties available for all year are limited is mainly because they don't all have heating systems installed, which is essential for the colder winter months (namely December until March) and whilst an air conditioning inverter does also heat, for permanent living it would be very expensive to run. Actually, when someone rents a holiday home in Halkidiki for a period of six months or more, to reduce the risk of tenants running up high utility bills, they need to pay their bills on top of the rent. For summer contracts the bills are included. This is why the prices for renting a property all year round are pretty much the same as for the summer season because the bills are usually extra. Many property owners choose only to short-term let because the income is similar and the period of time their property is occupied is shorter so has less wear and tear.

Anyone thinking of renting out their holiday home in Halkidiki has two options, either to offer the property for the whole SUMMER SEASON (usually considered June-July-August) to a single family/group OR to advertise it for rent SHORT-TERM to tourists who visit the area for a week or two during the summer holidays. In recent years we have noticed an emerging trend in the rental market because increasingly visitors are wanting to better explore the whole area and not be restricted to a specific resort for their annual trip so they look to change accommodation, stopping a few nights in a place then moving on and it is far more comfortable for a family to rent a holiday home in Halkidiki than to stay in hotels. There are pros and cons for the owner of course with both ways of rental.

Those who are interested in renting a holiday home in Halkidiki for the whole summer season should advertise through a real estate agency, which is based close to the property because they are more easily able to take any prospective tenants to see inside the property. The more viewings the better the chances are of finding a tenant and usually when someone is looking for a property to rent they would either research a specific area online or visit in person and look for a local agent who is more likely to know all the rental options in the area. 

Alternatively, it is possible for an owner to promote their holiday home in Halkidiki for rent themselves through any of the various different rental platforms, which is becoming more and more popular and can be very successful. The property needs to be registered (easily done by your accountant) on a short-term rental register to obtain a unique number, which the digital platforms require. It can be a little complex and time consuming at first to create a listing on a rental platform, to set up policies and manage reservations yourself, especially when advertising on multiple sites so it is important to have some prior knowledge and be confident with technology to succeed. Of course someone could be employed to help but this is an extra expense to consider. There is also a commission fee to pay on each booking, which can be up to 15% depending on the platform. Rental platforms are a great way to advertise a property and establish a client base of happy guests who will in turn recommend to family and friends often booking direct with the owner when returning the following and subsequent years.

What are the benefits of renting a holiday home in Halkidiki on a seasonal versus a weekly basis?

The main advantage for owners who rent their holiday home in Halkidiki for the whole season is that they only have one family staying in their property. This is likely to mean less wear and tear and possibility of damages because there are fewer people using the property but in any case if something happened to break the owner can be absolutely certain of who was responsible! It is also much easier for the owner because the tenants usually pay upfront in full, once the keys are handed over they don't have the hassle of cleaning and laundry on a weekly basis (unless they wish to offer such service!), only the garden might need taking care of every couple of weeks. Families who rent a holiday home in Halkidiki for the whole summer season will usually bring with them a lot of belongings, to make their stay as comfortable as possible for example their own bedding, trusty coffee machine, beach paraphernalia etc. so it isn't (usually) as important if the property is missing some equipment so long as the basics are provided.

A holiday home in Halkidiki rented on a weekly basis can charge higher nightly rates and earn much more over the season before the expenses are deducted for laundry, cleaning, commissions etc. In the present market there is probably more chance of having reservations because as we mentioned before, in the last few years tourists seem to want to travel around rather than have the same base all summer. Maybe an owner, their friends or family would like to use their holiday home in Halkidiki at some point for a few weeks during the summer and this isn't a problem when renting short-term because some dates can be blocked from the beginning.

What are the negative aspects of renting out a holiday home in Halkidiki?

• Naturally when there are many different people being accommodated over a season some damages to the property are more likely to occur.

• When renting short-term there are additional expenses to prepare the property for each changeover of guests.

• It is quite essential to be able to communicate well in English for managing reservations and liaising with different guests on the rental platforms.

• It can also be a little complicated when advertising on multiple platforms to ensure that the availability is up-to-date because there are serious consequences if the property gets accidentally double booked as the owner is obliged to find and pay for identical or better accommodation, which depending on the period could be costly.

• Someone also needs to meet and greet every new guest, to issue the keys and explain everything they need to know about the property, how things work etc. as well as check the property upon departure, collect the keys and bid farewell.

• At the end of the season an owner needs to present information to an accountant about every single reservation and if there are many it will take more time for them to process so their annual service fee is likely to increase.

• The guest reviews can also be a little trying at times as it is very important to score well to stand out from the competition but for some reason short-stay guests have higher expectations and make many demands, which sometimes are difficult to arrange and satisfy during their short-stay. A bad review can also be quite disappointing if the guests don't actually complain about anything giving you the opportunity to try and rectify problems.

• Owners who rent for the full season would be restricted to using their property before or after the high season (although in our opinion May and September are the best months anyway!).

The final decision really depends on how much free time the owner is able to spend and also if they are able, because of the distance, to take care of some of the responsibilities personally and avoid the expense of paying someone to help with everything. Depending upon the property and how much it can charge per night it could be that the expenses are so much that the profit works out less than could be achieved by renting for the whole season with a lot less effort.