Maintenance Obligations: What the Tenant Pays (Wear & Tear)

The most common reason the Security Deposit is withheld and landlords and tenants go to court in Greece, is repairs. "The water heater broke, I won't pay the rent until you fix it" or "The wall turned black from dampness, let the landlord paint it". The Civil Code sets clear rules (which can be partially modified in the contract).

Disclaimer: The distinction between "Necessary Damage" (Gravity of the Property) and "Normal Wear and Tear" is often judged on a case-by-case basis in Magistrates' Courts. This is a general briefing (March 2026).

1. The "Suitable Use" Rule (Landlord's Responsibility)

According to the Civil Code (Article 575), the landlord (lessor) has the absolute obligation to deliver the house in a condition "suitable for the agreed use" and to maintain it in such condition.

What does this mean (The "Heavy" Expenses)?

• The landlord pays "Necessary expenses" (Article 591).
• Systemic damages: Does the central (old) water heater break down? Does the drainage pipe break under the tile due to old age? Does the main electrical panel burn out and short-circuit? The landlord calls the technician, the landlord pays for the materials.
• Hidden Dampness / Mold (from a construction fault of the roof) burdens the landlord 100%.

2. Tenant's Responsibility: Normal Wear vs Culpable Damage

The tenant is NOT responsible for damages or alterations due to agreed – normal – use (Article 592 CC). That is, the law accepts that "the house lives and wears out" and the landlord is compensated for this through their Rent.

The Tenant DOES NOT pay (Normal Use):

• Holes in the wall to hang pictures (within reasonable limits).
• Slight discoloration/yellowing of walls (from sun or minor fumes).
• The scratching of a baseboard from an office chair (without malice).

The Tenant ASSUMES and Pays (Culpable Damages or "Luxury" Expenses):

• Misuse Damages: A broken sink because a hair dryer fell heavily on it. Tearing out a socket by pulling a cable from afar with force. A lock that broke because the owner lost the key and broke the cylinder.
• Functional Hygiene: If the sink clogs from hair or cooking grease of the current year (not from a central building cesspit of 15 years ago), the unblocking chemicals or the plumber who will take out the cylindrical pipe burden the tenant's operating expenses (consumable).
• Right of Removal: If the tenant installs (at their own expense) a new expensive A/C, they have the right (upon moving out) to dismantle it and take it with them (Article 593), provided they repair the wall to its original form. If they leave it making the space better, a reduced last rent is often negotiated as a "favor."

3. The Prohibition of "I Won't Pay You If You Don't Fix It"

In Greece, the phenomenon of "withholding" is often observed: Something big breaks (e.g. Central Heating from the building's fault) and the Landlord delays the repair. The tenant gets angry and refuses next month to deposit the Rent in the bank until it is repaired! This is judicially precarious. If the tenant cuts the rent arbitrarily, the Landlord has the legal right to initiate the Eviction Process for Default (non-payment of rent).

• The Right Way: The tenant must notify the landlord immediately (Extrajudicial Notice or written Email). If the landlord does not fix it within a reasonable time, the tenant is entitled to call their own technician, pay them, keep the Receipt, and THEN offset the proven expense by deducting it from the next rent (depositing the remaining rent normally).

Smart Service-Desk Management with Landager

No more endless messages on Viber like "The siphon broke, what do we do?". The Landager platform acts as a digital issue manager. The Tenant creates a digital Ticket with a photo of the clogged sink. The App's AI analyzes based on the Greek Civil Code (Functional Need) and replies to the tenant: "Sink malfunctions from grease are a tenant consumable maintenance. Contact a plumber." The landlord is spared endless weekend calls, and sets boundaries on their "Necessary Expenses" protecting their bank account!

Back to Residential Tenancy (Overview).