What we check — and what we don't
home.gr is new. We have few listings and no track record to show you. The only thing we can offer from day one is to say exactly what we do and what we don't — without «verified» badges that mean nothing.
We do not visit properties and we do not confirm what the owner declares. Every detail on every listing is declared by them and is labelled as such. Below we spell it out, along with what you can do to protect yourself.
A few things — and we call them by their name
This is not a property inspection. It is structure, labelling and a few rules that make it harder for something to be presented as other than it is.
Structured details, labelled as declared
Size, floor, heating, shared charges, what the price includes: each goes into a specific field, not into free text. Next to them it says «declared».
We never present a declared detail as a finding of our own.
The «listing completeness» indicator
It shows how many of the available fields have been declared. It is an automatic calculation, not a judgement of quality: high completeness means «they said everything», not «everything is true».
Useful for comparison. It does not replace a visit.
Messaging stays inside the platform
Messages stay here, with dates. If you later need to see exactly what was agreed — price, duration, what is included — there is a written trail for both sides.
You can talk elsewhere too; it's just that nothing from there stays with us.
Location is shown approximately
The map shows the area, not the exact address, while the listing is live. It is for the property's security — the exact address is given to you by the owner, when they decide to.
This applies to every listing, without exception.
An account requires a verified email
To list a property or send a request, you must first confirm your email address. It is a minimal barrier against bulk fake profiles.
It is not identity verification and we do not present it as such.
A professional's listing is not published without a declared fee
Anyone listing as a professional declares their agency fee before pressing «Publish». It is not a policy we ask people to honour: it is a gate — without the field, the listing does not go live.
The tenant sees it on the card, before the first contact.
We take down whatever is shown to be misleading
We can't catch everything, but we look at whatever is reported to us. Listings shown to be fake or misleading come down, and accounts asking for money outside the platform are closed.
Reactive, not preventive — which is why your report matters.
What we do NOT do
Other platforms bury this in their terms of service. We put it in the middle of the page, because it changes how you should behave.
When any of this changes, we will write it here. This page is the reference point — not the terms of service. One thing has already changed: phone confirmation is no longer just a decision — the mechanism is written. It does not work yet: the provider that will send the messages is missing, and we give no date. You will find it in your account the day it works. And it will mean only that the number answered an SMS, nothing more.
Six rules that catch almost every scam
This is not theory. These are the points where money is lost renting in Greece — and all of them happen before you see the home.
See the property before you hand over money
In person, or on a live video call where the owner points the camera where you tell them to: the bathroom, out of the window, at the doorbell. A pre-recorded video does not prove the home exists and is available today.
No deposit before a lease is signed
Do not send an advance or a deposit to an unknown account to «hold» the home. «Send €200 today because others want it» is the most common trick, and money that leaves this way rarely comes back.
A price that is too low is a red flag
If a furnished home in a good area is asking half of what the others ask, it usually isn't a bargain. Compare with other listings in the same area and for the same duration before you get excited.
Ask for the lease to be filed electronically
Declaring the tenancy is mandatory and protects both sides: you, because it proves you live there lawfully; the owner, because it puts their tax position in order. An owner who refuses to declare it is telling you something important about what comes next.
Keep the agreement in writing, here
Price, duration, shared charges, electricity, what is included and what isn't: write them in the platform's messages. If something is agreed on the phone, send it in writing afterwards for confirmation.
Don't send ID or bank details in chats outside the platform
No photo of your ID, no tax statement, no e-banking credentials. No serious owner asks for those in messages before you have even seen the home — and bank credentials are never needed to rent.
The above are practical tips, not legal advice. References to obligations (e.g. filing the lease, energy performance certificates) are given for information, in line with the framework in force — confirm your own case with your accountant or lawyer.
What holds for your home
Your fear is a different one: who comes into your home, and what happens if something goes wrong. Four things already hold — not as policy, as mechanism.
The exact address is not published
The map shows the area, not the address, while the listing is live. The exact address is given by you, to whoever you decide.
A block takes effect at once — in both directions
From the moment you block someone, they cannot send you a message or a request — nor you them. It waits for no review, and the other person is not notified.
Whatever is agreed leaves a trail
Messages stay on the platform, with dates. If you need to see exactly what was agreed, there is a written trail for both sides.
If something needs fixing, we tell you by email
If something on a published listing of yours needs fixing, we email you exactly what — and you see it on your Dashboard too. The listing stays published while you fix it: it is not taken down and it is not frozen.
If something goes wrong.
Send us the link to the listing and exactly what happened. The more specific you are (dates, what was asked for, what was sent), the faster we can do something.
«We review every report within 24 hours.» The commitment is written into article 09 of the Terms — here we simply say it where you will look for it. A report is judged by a person, as the same article says.
In the iPhone app you do not need email: Report sits inside every listing and conversation, with Block next to it. The difference matters — a report is judged by a person, while a block takes effect the moment you tap it and cuts off messages and booking requests, in both directions.
Were you asked for an agency fee on a «From the owner» listing? Tell us. The label appears when there is no professional behind the listing — and then no agency fee is written on the card. Send us the link to the listing and exactly what was asked for, at report@home.gr — the subject and the questions are already written. From there on, the same holds as for every report:
- We take down listings shown to be misleading or non-existent
- We close accounts that ask for advances outside the platform
- We reply that a person looked at it, and whether a breach of the Terms was found — even if we found nothing. What exactly we did concerns the other person, so we don't write it
What we cannot do: we do not refund money paid outside the platform, because it never passes through us — we neither hold nor handle payments. If you have already lost money, tell your bank immediately and file a report with the police; we can give you whatever listing details we hold.