5 Ways to Avoid Getting Ripped Off on Temporary Housing in Athens
/How to live well, spend smart, and still have enough left for souvlaki and island trips
Arriving in Athens like a pro, not a tourist. Here’s how to avoid getting ripped off on temporary housing and actually enjoy your Erasmus adventure.
Finding housing in Athens as an Erasmus student is like speed-dating blindfolded.
Every apartment looks “nice” online.
Every landlord swears it’s “five minutes from the metro.”
And every ad promises “no hidden costs.”
Then you land here… and your “great deal” turns out to be a leaky studio forty minutes from class... with a power bill that hits harder than a shot of ouzo.
Let’s fix that.
If you want to stop bleeding cash on short-term traps and actually live somewhere that feels like home, here’s your crash course.
Five quick lessons... learned from students who came, saw, and paid way too much.
1. The “Short-Term Flexibility” Scam
You arrive in Athens, open Airbnb, and tell yourself: “I’ll stay here first… and find something better later.”
That’s the line.
That’s how you burn half your semester budget before classes even start.
Short-term stays look convenient, but they’re daylight robbery in disguise.
You pay tourist prices for student life — €900 for a month that should’ve cost €450.
Take Sophie from France.
She booked two weeks “just to settle in.” Then two weeks more.
By the end, she’d spent €1,200… and still hadn’t unpacked emotionally or financially.
Do this instead: Lock in a medium-term lease (3–6 months). It’s cheaper, calmer, and legally solid.
👉 Pro tip: Rooms Athens does exactly that: verified leases, stable pricing, no last-minute “cleaning fees” from the twilight zone.
2. “All-Inclusive” My A**
You’ll see this word everywhere: all-inclusive.
But in Athens, that usually means: Water’s included. Wi-Fi’s included. Electricity? Surprise.
You’ll get hit with “seasonal adjustments,” “AC surcharges,” or the classic... a “one-time” cleaning fee that mysteriously repeats monthly.
Lukas from Germany found a “perfect” €480 room. Then came the €80 AC bill.
Then a €150 cleaning deposit that vanished faster than his Erasmus savings.
Your move: Before signing, ask three blunt questions:
Are utilities really included or just “estimated”?
What’s the cleaning fee, one-off or monthly?
Any agency or renewal costs hiding in fine print?
If the landlord dodges, you walk. Better to lose an apartment than a semester’s budget.
👉 Pro tip: At Rooms Athens, what you see is what you pay. Every month. No asterisks. No ghost charges.
3. Don’t Go Solo - Go Smart
Yes, privacy sounds nice.
You imagine your own place, your own rules, your own oat milk.
But unless you’re secretly rich, solo living in Athens will murder your budget.
You’ll pay double rent, double utilities, and triple stress. You’ll buy every spoon, chair, and frying pan yourself... only to dump them at the end.
Marta from Spain learned the hard way.
Her cute one-bedroom near Syntagma cost €650. Add €250 utilities and €200 IKEA binge, and she was at €1,100 a month.
Meanwhile her friends in a shared Erasmus flat were paying half that, with free social life included.
The better play: Go co-living. Private room, shared bills, built-in friends. Less stress, more laughs, and no lonely Netflix nights.
👉 Bonus: At Rooms Athens, we match Erasmus students just like you, people who actually talk to each other.
4. No Lease, No Protection
You wouldn’t drive around Athens without your license, right?
Then don’t rent without a lease.
Because without a legal contract, you have zero protection.
No bank account.
No visa paperwork.
No proof when your landlord decides rent “needs adjustment.”
Leo from Italy found that out mid-semester... when his friendly host suddenly raised rent “due to inflation.” No lease, no recourse, just stress.
Solution: Only sign with landlords or agencies that give you an official, registered lease. It’s not bureaucracy, it’s your shield.
👉 Pro tip: Rooms Athens leases are 100% legal and accepted by Greek authorities. Perfect for visa, residence, or banking paperwork.
5. Avoid the IKEA Nightmare
That empty apartment might look like a steal.
But the second you start buying furniture, bedding, pans, and mops... boom. You’ve just paid double.
Camille from Belgium rented a €400 unfurnished studio.
Then dropped €350 at IKEA and €100 on cleaning supplies. Total: €850... and still no curtains.
Meanwhile her friend moved into a fully equipped co-living flat for €450 all-in.
Guess who spent her weekends on the islands instead of IKEA returns?
The smarter move: Pick move-in-ready housing. You land, unpack, plug in the Wi-Fi, done.
👉 Pro tip: Rooms Athens apartments come fully furnished, from sheets to spoons. No stress, no setup, no “IKEA therapy.”
The Bottom Line
Your Erasmus year should be about adventure... not chasing landlords, decoding bills, or arguing over missing toasters.
Saving money on housing isn’t just about being cheap.
It’s about freedom - more for travel, food, and nights you’ll actually remember.
Here’s your quick cheat sheet:
Skip short-term stays, go medium-term from day one.
Demand real transparency on “all-inclusive.”
Share apartments, double the fun, half the cost.
Always get an official lease.
Choose furnished, move-in-ready homes.
Do that, and you’ll win Athens before you even unpack.
👉 Check out Rooms Athens - verified co-living apartments made for Erasmus students who value comfort, community, and zero bullshit.
Because housing shouldn’t feel like a gamble. It should feel like home
