Delays in Commercial Rents and EU Directives (€40 Fine)

While in private housing default interest is a rare legal game of small amounts, in the world of Corporate Real Estate (B2B), where rents range from €3,000 to €100,000 per month, a 15-day delay equals lost bank profits. Commercial Leases (Corporate) in Greece, follow enhanced European Law, offering serious punitive weapons to the Landlord.

Disclaimer: EU directives on late payments apply expressly only to "Commercial Transactions" (Between Businesses/Professionals). If the Tenant is a simple citizen (non-professional), the legislation of residential late fees applies. (Updated March 2026).

1. The Heavy Artillery: The European B2B "Penalty" of €40

The greatest (and often ignored by 1 in 3 owners) victory of European Real Estate Funds is included in Law 4152/2013 (Greek integration of Directive 2011/7/EU). What does it stipulate? When you rent a shop or property to Another Company (For professional practice! Not their home!):

• Day One (1) of Delay: If the Tenant did not put the Rent in the Bank on the due date (e.g., the 5th of the month, at midnight), they legally become in Default.
• Immediate "Late Fee" / Collection Compensation: As a Landlord you have an AUTOMATIC legal right (Without delay!) to add 40 Euros as a flat (one-off) Compensation!
• Without a Lawyer or Warning: The amazing thing about this B2B law is that you DO NOT need to first send a "Polite Reminder Letter" to have the right! The Law covers your administration's damage. You invoice it and charge it to their account on the morning of the 6th of the month absolutely legally. (If you need an Eviction / Lawyer / Extrajudicial Notice, these 40 euros are offset against the Bailiff's legal fees later, and if they exceed them [e.g. 400 Euros legal], you charge them additionally of course).

2. Default Interest Rate B2B (Increased!)

Beyond the flat "Forty Euros Flat-fee", the delayed capital of e.g., €10,000 (monthly Rent) also "generates" interest.

• The B2B Interest Rate (BoG): The interest rate applied between two legal entities/professionals is not the simple interest rate of individuals. It is the "Default Interest Rate for Commercial Transactions" (announced every Semester by the Bank of Greece based on the ECB's basic rate).
• Today it often runs at heights in the magnitude of 10.50% to 12.50%!
• These interests (daily proportion % * Capital / 365) "Run" automatically from the day following the Date of Expiration ("Certain Day").

3. Freedom of Contracts (Contractual Penalties)

In Commercial Law, the Owner of the office complex who invests heavily in Shell & Core, does not live on 40 euros.

• Can Lawyers design a B2B Contract (in TAXISnet) that clearly writes: "Late Penalty 200€ per Week"?
• Yes. Greek Law (Civil Code 404 - Penal Clause) allows the imposition of Harsher "Penal Clauses" (Late Penalties) in professional leases. Greek courts recognize them (if the lessee company has signed it), BUT they have the right to reduce them (to the appropriate measure / Justice) if the tenant files a lawsuit that the fine was "1,000 euros for 3 days", i.e., abusively exorbitant!

(Note: Never forget that along with the Rent and Late Fees, often the Delayed Stamp Duty of 3.6% of AADE is also owed)

Financial Strictness without Effort with Landager

Do you spend 8 man-hours of your Accounting Department to "chase" the 40s of the EU-Fines and the calculations of Decimal-Interests among your Commercial Clients in Greece? With the Landager platform, Real Estate transforms into a fully Automated Factory-Bank. When the Dashboard system detects that the IBAN inflow did not identify the payment for B2B Store-4 on the 'Certain Day' (Date of Payment), it automatically creates a "Digital Supplementary Claim". It passes the 'EU Flat-Fee 40€' as "Management Delay Cost" + the weekly % Interest from BoG, and adds it to the Rent Statement of the next period. The Message/eInvoice goes "C-Level" to the financial directors of the tenant (without human emotions/discounts). The Market's Payment behavior... aligns with Your ROI (Return).

Back to Commercial Leases (Overview).