Buying Property in a Traditional Settlement in Corfu: What You Should Know First
A practical guide for buyers and owners in Corfu Old Town and the villages of North Corfu
A stone mansion with Venetian windows in the Old Town, or a village house on the slopes of Mount Pantokrator: these are the properties people dream about when they think of Corfu. They are also properties with their own set of legal rules. Those rules decide what you can change, how long a permit takes, and what a renovation will really cost. Buyers who find out afterwards tend to find out the hard way, through delays, extra costs, or plans that simply can’t go ahead.
1. “Traditional settlement” and “listed building” are not the same thing
People mix these two up all the time, and the difference matters.
A traditional settlement is a whole area that the state has recognised for its architecture and character. Special building rules apply to every property inside its boundaries.
A listed building (in Greek, a “diatiriteo”) is an individual building that has been protected by its own ministerial decision. It can sit inside or outside a traditional settlement, and the restrictions are usually stricter.
There is also a third category. Buildings that date from before the early 19th century are protected as monuments under the cultural heritage law (Law 3028/2002), whether or not the area around them has been designated.
2. Corfu Old Town
The Old Town has the most layered protection on the island.
Traditional settlement. It was designated by Presidential Decree on 22 April 1980 (Government Gazette 274/D/5.5.1980), signed by President Konstantinos Tsatsos and the Minister of Physical Planning, Housing and Environment, Stefanos Manos.
Historic listed monument. The area was declared as such by Ministerial Decision 4701/1967 (Gazette 183/B/1967), later amended by a 1980 decision (Gazette 512/B/4.6.1980).
UNESCO World Heritage Site, since 2007.
What the 1980 decree actually says
The decree draws the boundaries of the protected area and sets two main rules:
For repair, restoration, reconstruction and interior reorganisation of old buildings that represent traditional architecture, a building permit is granted only after approval by the Architectural Control Committee (EPAE).
This work may not push the building beyond its existing building coefficient, where that is already higher than what the earlier town plan allowed. Put simply, you can restore what is there, but you can’t enlarge it.
In practice, almost any work on a building in the Old Town involves several authorities: the local Planning Office, the EPAE, and the Ephorate of Antiquities, depending on the age and nature of the building.
A little history that still matters
After the Second World War, the Old Town was given a new town plan (Gazette 88/A/1958) with extensive street-widening and expropriation. Most of it was never carried out. The plan did leave some odd traces in property rights, though, such as development rights that were granted to owners of plots that were meant to be cut back. This is why a careful legal and technical check of the title deeds matters so much here.
3. North Corfu: villages, settlements and areas of natural beauty
In the north there is no single regime. Depending on where a property is, you may find:
settlements designated as traditional or historic,
areas classed as landscapes of natural beauty, such as Old Perithia on the slopes of Pantokrator,
individual buildings listed on their own,
land outside the town plan, with its own building restrictions,
zones covered by Natura 2000 or other environmental protection.
Each village has its own Gazette decision and its own rules. For any specific property in the north, the first step is always to confirm how its area has been classified.
Which areas fall under a special regime?
Corfu Town. The Old Town is the clearest case. It is a traditional settlement under the 1980 decree, a historic listed monument under the 1967 decision (amended in 1980), and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On top of that, buildings from before the 19th century are protected under Law 3028/2002, even if they have never been listed individually.
North and north-west Corfu. Published lists of the island’s traditional settlements mention, for example, Peroulades, Lakones, Avliotes, Kalami and Koulouras. Old Perithia is described as a historic settlement and a landscape of natural beauty. This is a guide, not a complete list. A designation only applies as it is written in its own Gazette decision.
The rest of the island. Traditional settlements are not limited to the north. Pelekas, Sinarades, Kynopiastes and Agios Matthaios are some examples.
The exact designation and boundaries of a settlement should always be confirmed with the local Planning Office and the relevant Gazette before you buy.
4. Listed properties: a separate process from the traditional settlement
Being inside a traditional settlement does not make a building listed. A building is listed only if it has been designated individually, and that decision is published in the Government Gazette. The three concepts work like this:
Concept Who declares it What it covers
Traditional settlement Presidential Decree or Ministerial Decision The whole area; building rules apply to every property
Listed building A minister (usually the Ministry of Environment and Energy), by decision published in the Gazette, after an opinion from the relevant architecture council The specific building or complex, with its own conditions
Modern monument The Minister of Culture, under Law 3028/2002 Cultural assets from after 1830, proposed by the monuments service
A building can carry more than one designation. It might sit in a traditional settlement and also be a listed building or modern monument. When that happens, the stricter rules apply.
What this means in practice:
Any work on a listed building or modern monument needs a positive opinion from the relevant council and a ministerial decision, on top of the usual building permit.
The owner cannot alter or demolish the protected elements.
Some tax relief exists for listed buildings, but only under specific conditions and with the Gazette decision in hand. Please ask an accountant about this.
You can’t tell from the outside whether a building is listed. The only proof is the Gazette or the ministerial decision, and a buyer should ask to see it.
5. How a listed building works: the example of Gazette 889/D/1993
Gazette 889/D/1993 covers listed buildings in Poros and in Neapoli, Athens, not in Corfu. It is still a useful example of the typical framework for listed buildings:
Removing, altering or destroying architectural and decorative features is prohibited.
Repairs, upgrading of installations, structural reinforcement and interior reorganisation are allowed, as long as the architectural character is not changed.
Extensions need approval and the opinion of the EPAE.
Illuminated signs and advertising are not allowed, with limited exceptions for ground-floor shops.
Any work on the exterior or interior needs EPAE approval.
Conditions differ from one designation to the next, so the Gazette decision for the specific property you are considering is the document that counts.
6. What it means for you as a buyer
Time and cost. Approvals from several authorities add time to the permit process. The materials and methods required (stone, timber frames, traditional roof tiles) usually cost more than standard construction.
Limited room to expand. In the Old Town and for listed buildings, adding floors or making a major extension is generally not allowed. If you are planning a large renovation or a tourism project, find out early what is actually possible.
Unauthorised construction. In traditional settlements, regularising unauthorised work comes with extra conditions and doesn’t always follow the general rules. Any unauthorised or undeclared extension should be checked with an engineer before you commit.
Long-term and short-term rental. How you can use the property (for example, short-term holiday letting) depends on the rules in force at the time, and may also be affected by what the area’s designation allows.
Buyers from outside the EU. Corfu is a border area, so non-EU buyers may need a special permit. Please check the current rules before you sign.
7. A checklist before you buy
Legal check of the title by a lawyer or notary: chain of transfers, inheritances, co-ownership, mortgages, cadastre entry.
Planning certificate for the property’s location: current regime, building conditions, designations.
Designation check with the Ministry of Culture / Ephorate of Antiquities and the EPAE, especially for buildings older than the 19th century.
Technical inspection by an engineer: condition, unauthorised work, structural soundness, estimated restoration cost.
Access and utilities, especially in mountain villages (road, water, electricity).
Tax check (ENFIA, transfer tax, total transaction costs) with an accountant.
In short
Properties in Corfu’s traditional settlements are not “difficult”. They do ask for an informed buyer and good preparation. With thorough checks before you buy, and the right engineers and lawyers beside you, the purchase can go smoothly and leave you with a home that is genuinely one of a kind.
Thinking of buying in Corfu? Let’s talk first.
At our office, we know what each designation means for a property’s price, its use and its running costs. Before we show you anything, we check its legal status, so you don’t get surprises after you’ve bought.
We check the status. We confirm whether a property is in a traditional settlement, listed, or a modern monument.
We bring in the right people. We put you in touch with trusted local lawyers, engineers and accountants.
We know the properties with character. From mansions in the Old Town to stone houses in the villages of North Corfu.
Get in touch for a free first conversation. Tell us what you are looking for and we’ll walk you through every step, from choosing a property to signing the contract.
Phone: [office phone] | Email: [office email] | Address: [office address, Corfu]
This article is for general information and is not legal advice. Laws and designations change, so for any specific property please get written advice from a lawyer, an engineer or the local Planning Office.
Sources: Government Gazette 274/D/5.5.1980 (designation of the Old Town of Corfu as a traditional settlement); Gazette 889/D/9.8.1993 (listed buildings in Poros and Neapoli, used as an example of the regime); Gazettes 183/B/1967 and 512/B/1980; Law 3028/2002; Ministry of Culture replies to the Greek Parliament on the Old Town of Corfu; Presidential Decree of 22.4.1980; Law 4067/2012 (building code) on listed buildings; published list of traditional settlements of Corfu (Wikipedia, indicative); Ministry of Interior guidance on listed buildings and modern monuments.