Legalization reaps 1.9 bln euros

Data show over a million applications to legitimize property approved, with lion’s share in Attica

More than a million applications have been submitted to legitimize infractions of zoning regulations since 2011, according to data from the Technical Chamber.

Legislation passed in 2011 and 2013 has led to the legalization of zoning violations – such as the conversion of balconies into rooms and a host of other infractions – concerning slightly more than a million properties.

The total revenue generated from the fees to legalize these constructions and additions currently stands at more than 1.9 billion euros.

Under the present law, property owners will be able to submit applications to legalize their buildings or additions made to them until September 23. However, this date may change as the Environment Ministry plans to legislate a new framework in the coming days.

Most of these legalizations – 274,111 – were in the Attica region and concern a total of 21 million square meters of property.

If we were to put the average size of a home as 80 square meters, the total amount of violations would represent 267,500 homes.

The lion’s share of infractions in Attica are in Eastern Attica, with 76,612 illegal constructions. The port city of Thessaloniki follows with 66,911 property owners hav- ing broken the rules, representing a total area of 6.2 million square meters.

The neighboring popular holiday resort area of Halikidiki is also a bastion of zoning violations, with 27,232 recorded, representing a total area of 2.1 million square meters.

Larissa and Corinth are the other two mainland areas where zoning violations are rampant.

With regard to the islands, most of the infractions were reported on Crete, with 41,418 recorded zoning violations, representing 6 million square meters.

The island’s capital, Iraklio, is where the most – 16,338 – violations occurred, covering almost 3 million square meters.

The island of Evia follows close behind with 23,783 violations, ahead of the region covering Rhodes, Symi, Tilos, Halki and Kastelorizo in the southeastern Aegean.