I am posting this article from the Athens News by Kathy Tzilivakis in full.

‘Sorry, it’s been taken’ is what most foreigners in Athens are told when they ring to inquire about a rental ad in the newspaper. Based on a year-long survey, easily identifiable characteristics such as a heavy accent tend to increase the chances of discrimination against Albanian immigrants

From slammed doors to higher prices, immigrant face discrimination nearly every single time they try to rent an apartment in Athens, a new survey has found.

AN IMMIGRANT who has a noticeable accent calls in response to a rental ad. The landlord tells him the apartment he wants to see is already taken. Later, he learns the apartment is still available.

This is a common scenario faced by immigrants in Athens, according to a a new survey measuring housing discrimination. The city is home to nearly half of the country’s immigrants, representing 16 percent of the city’s population, based on data from the 2001 population census. The majority (51 percent) of them hail from neighbouring Albania.

Professor Nick Drydakis of the University of Crete, who conducted the research, found evidence showing landlords often treat Albanian immigrant home-seekers differently than Greeks and that discrimination begins over the telephone. A heavy accent and the inability to speak Greek are grounds for screening.

The study provides the first ever estimate of the level of discrimination experienced by immigrants living and working in Athens. The results are based on nearly 5,000 paired (with one Albanian immigrant and one Greek) tests conducted in 122 areas city-wide between November 2006 and October 2007.

Drydakis had female callers pose as Albanian immigrants seeking a mid-priced 80-square-metre, two bedroom apartment.

Prospective immigrant renters experienced consistent adverse treatment in comparison to Greeks in 23 percent of tests in low-income, working-class neighbourhoods like Tavros, Petralona and Menidi. In high-income neighbourhoods like Glyfada, Thiseio, Vari and Kifissia, immigrants were not welcome to even see the rental in 42 percent of the tests.

The survey found that landlords often told immigrant callers that the apartment was no longer available minutes before telling Greeks about the vacancy.

The high-income Athens neighbourhood of Ekali is the most immigrant-unfriendly, according to the survey. Landlords in Ekali lied about vacancies to nearly two-thirds of Albanian immigrant callers. The same situation was recorded in Kolonaki (60 percent), Lykovrissi (56 percent) and Philothei (63 percent).

“I was very surprised by the amount of hostility expressed by the landlords when an Albanian immigrant telephoned them,” Drydakis told the Athens News. “When the Albanian inquired about a vacancy, we discerned an awkward silence from the landlords and their voice changed. The landlords who agreed to show the immigrants the rental asked questions they didn’t ask the Greek callers, like how many people would be living in the home and about their employment. Some landlords, as soon as they heard the [home-seeker's] accent, simply hung up the phone.”

Why are landlords so biased against immigrants? Drydakis tried to answer this question.

Several months after the test, researchers called back the immigrant-unfriendly landlords to ask them to participate in a supposed telephone survey.

“We asked them if they would rent to an Albanian immigrant,” said Drydakis. “Many said that they would not because they are afraid the Albanian immigrant would bring with him other people to also live in the apartment. They also said they were worried that if they rent to an Albanian immigrant, the entire apartment building would be stigmatised and the area would possibly be downgraded. Some told us that they would not have a problem renting to an Albanian immigrant but that the neighbours would not like it. And there were fears that Albanian immigrants would not be able to make the rent.”

Based on the survey, Albanian immigrant home-seekers are more likely to be invited to view a vacancy in a working-class neighbourhood like Kamatero than in an upper-class neighbourhood like Ekali. Greek callers were invited to view 1,458 units, while immigrants were invited to view only 1,079.

‘Minority penalty’

The survey also found that rent is higher for immigrants. They were quoted rent as much as 50 euros higher than Greeks. Drydakis calls this a “minority penalty”.

“Not once did we come across a case where the Greek caller was quoted a higher rent than the Albanian caller,” said Drydakis. “The differences vary widely from one area to another. In similar research conducted in the United States and England, there is never more than an average 5 percent difference in rent. It’s different here.”

According to local human rights groups, every expat, immigrant, asylum-seeker and refugee in Greece has been confronted with barefaced racial discrimination from landlords at least once. Despite anti-discrimination legislation passed in 2003, seeking redress is almost impossible as there is never any tangible proof.

Renters’ rights and responsibilities

The lease is a written agreement between the tenant and the landlord. Before you sign on the dotted line, read the contract carefully. Discuss anything you do not understand with your landlord.

The term of the lease (two-year lease, three etc) and options for what happens at the end of this period (renew the lease, increase rent etc).

A security deposit (one- or two-month rent) is usually required. The deposit is returned to the tenant when the lease is up if there are no outstanding bills or damages to the apartment or house. Note: A security deposit is not required by Greek law. Most landlords also require tenants to pay the first and last month’s rent upon moving in.

Also ask about the payment of the duty stamp (hartosimo), which is added on top of the rent. This is currently 1.8 percent of a month’s rent. As of 1 January 2008, the hartosimo will be abolished for all home rentals.

Rent increases: these are usually specified in the lease. Most landlords request a 10 percent rental increase upon renewal of the lease. However, if this is not specified, the increase is only 75 percent of the cost of living index (3 percent).

Think twice about signing a lease that states that all damages must be repaired by the tenant. Under Greek law, a fresh coat of paint, a leaky tap and other damages caused by normal daily use are the landlord’s responsibility. But if the lease states otherwise, the written agreement supersedes the law.

Technorati: greece, racism, immigrant, albanian, foreigners