Building density
The maximum total floor area that may be built on a plot, as a percentage of the plot's area. At 90% density, a 500 m² plot allows up to 450 m² of floor area.
Updated 12 Oct 2026How it works
Building density (Συντελεστής Δόμησης), also called the building coefficient or plot ratio, is the total covered floor area of all floors of the buildings on a plot divided by the plot's net area. It is written as a percentage (90%) or a ratio (0.90:1). The development plan sets a maximum for each planning zone.
Example: on a 600 m² plot with 60% density, all floors together may total 360 m², for instance 180 m² on the ground floor and 180 m² upstairs.
The term is defined in the guide to planning regulations published by the Department of Town Planning and Housing, and an order of the Minister of the Interior (currently Order 4/2026) sets how it is calculated. Some spaces, such as balconies and covered verandas up to set limits, are not counted. Town planning incentives can allow extra density in some cases.
Density works together with the coverage ratio, the number of floors and the height limit, and a building must meet all of them.
Why it matters when you buy
For land, density decides how much you can build, and so much of the plot's value. Check the zone's density and whether existing buildings on the plot already use part of it.
For a finished home, building beyond the permitted density, for example by enclosing a veranda, is a planning breach that can block the certificate of final approval and the title deed. Exceeding the density was one of the minor deviations owners could legalise in the 2024–2025 planning amnesty, which closed on 23 June 2025.