More than 1 million households could soon be forced to pay thousands of euros each to ensure that areas of their homes which were originally planned as balconies but have since been turned into closed rooms are not liable to be demolished.
A gap in building laws has allowed developers to include semi-open (imiypaithria) areas in homes. These are essentially covered balconies that have walls on three sides but are open on the fourth. It is estimated that some 1.5 million of these spaces have been closed off and turned into proper rooms.
Earlier this month, Public Works and Environment Minister Giorgos Souflias suggested the government was working on a plan to regulate these illegally closed spaces.
Souflias emphasized this would not amount to a legalisation, which would allow homeowners to include the square meters taken up by the semi-open spaces in the total area of their home and therefore push up its price.
The government’s plan means that homeowners will be able to protect themselves against possible demolition of the offending part of their house or apartment, which the law demands.
