Greece state land buyout sees low interest despite discounts

Interest remains low in the Greek government's program to allow citizens to buy out encroached state-owned lands. Despite offering discounts of up to 80% and the option to pay in up to 60 interest-free monthly installments, only approximately 12,000 applications have been submitted out of an estimated 90,000 encroached areas. This means roughly 87% of the affected lands remain outside the regulation.

Several factors are contributing to this low participation rate, including high costs, complex bureaucracy, and the large volume of required documentation. Many individuals have opted to pursue ownership through the Greek Land Registry or judicial processes instead.

As the current deadline of September 11 approaches, various groups have requested further extensions. The Dodecanese Property Owners Association has specifically called for legislative changes, noting that unique property and cadastral conditions in the Dodecanese islands make compliance extremely difficult, particularly regarding requirements for prior E9 declarations when certain identification data is missing. Most submitted applications have originated from the Attica region.