A lease agreement written for an office is not enough for a café or restaurant. We draft lease agreements (μισθωτήρια) that cover everything the licensing of the premises requires and avoid the ambiguities and “traps” that later bind the business owner.
What a lease for food and beverage premises should provide for
- Express use of the leased premises as a food and beverage business (“shop of sanitary interest”, ΚΥΕ), in the category you are planning.
- An obligation on the landlord to hand over the documents needed for the business operation notification (γνωστοποίηση), such as the building permit and the building’s co-ownership rules (κανονισμός πολυκατοικίας).
- Terms that protect you if the premises ultimately cannot operate lawfully: a statement by the landlord, and the landlord’s liability, for the lawful use of the premises; a condition covering the key supporting documents (e.g. engineer’s certificate, fire safety, building co-ownership rules); and a right to terminate the lease without compensation in that case.
- Duration and right to extend: the law guarantees only three years (Article 13 of Law 4242/2014). Whatever you need to recoup your investment must be written into the lease.
- Rent adjustment: agreed in the contract, within the limits set by law. For 2026, rent increases in commercial leases cannot exceed 3%, with certain exceptions (Article 96 of Law 5007/2022, as in force).
- The right to transfer the lease to a company or to a new owner of the business, if you sell it.
- Who pays for the fit-out works and what stays in the premises when the lease ends.
- Amount and return of the deposit.
Lease disputes
If a dispute arises, it is handled by lawyers with experience in the field: eviction and return of the premises, unpaid rent, rent adjustment, the deposit, termination of the lease and compensation. We first seek an out-of-court solution, where this better protects the operation of the business.
Frequently asked questions
The owner will not provide the building permit. Should I sign?
Better not. Without the building permit and the plans, it cannot be checked whether the premises can be licensed. If you must go ahead, include terms that tie the lease to the key documents and to the lawful use of the premises, not merely to the submission of the notification. The notification is not approved by any authority, and the inspection takes place later.
Do you also review a lease already drafted by the owner?
Yes. We read it from the tenant’s side, explain the risks to you and propose specific changes for the negotiation.
See also: Pre-lease check of the premises · What you should know before renting premises for a food and beverage business (in Greek)