An alarm needs a response plan. If it sounds while you are abroad, you need to know who will receive the alert, who can attend in Athens and who has authorised access to your home.
It’s 3am in London and your phone is buzzing. Motion has been detected in the living room of your Athens apartment. The siren is sounding, but the camera view shows nothing unusual. Your neighbour is away, and you cannot tell whether the cause is an intruder, a technical fault or an insect near a sensor.
A camera can help you assess an alert, but it cannot inspect every corner of the apartment or secure a damaged door. Before you leave, agree who will handle a suspected break-in and who can check the property once it is safe.
What happens when the alarm goes off?
The response depends on the system you have installed.
Siren-only alarm
The alarm sounds at the property. Unless the system has another communication feature, it does not notify you or a monitoring centre.
A neighbour might hear it and contact you, but this is not a dependable response arrangement.
App-connected alarm
The system sends an alert to your phone. You may be able to review camera footage, identify the sensor that triggered or see a power or battery warning.
You still need someone in Athens who can act when the situation requires a visit.
Monitored alarm
The system sends a signal to a monitoring centre, which follows the procedures agreed in your contract. These may include calling you, contacting your nominated local person or dispatching a patrol.
Monitoring does not automatically include a patrol or access inside your apartment. Check exactly what your contract provides.
Greek private security businesses providing alarm monitoring services require an operating licence. The National Registry of Administrative Public Services explains the licensing framework.
Before signing a monitoring contract, ask:
- Which signals does the monitoring centre receive?
- Who will they contact, and in what order?
- Is patrol attendance included or charged separately?
- What response arrangements apply in your neighbourhood?
- Will a patrol inspect only the outside, or can it enter under an agreed access procedure?
- What happens if nobody answers the phone?
- Who deals with a fault, resets the system or arranges repairs?
Who can respond, and what can they do?
| Who | What they can do | Limits to their role |
|---|---|---|
| A neighbour | Hear the siren, report what they can safely observe and contact you or the emergency services. | They may be unavailable and should not enter to investigate a suspected intruder. |
| Building manager or caretaker | Check shared entrances and common areas, report visible problems and help with building access. | Their role does not automatically include access to individual apartments or alarm response. |
| Monitoring company patrol | Attend and assess the situation within the scope of your contract. | Interior access, response times and follow-up work depend on the agreed service. |
| Police | Respond to a suspected crime, a crime in progress or a reported break-in. | They do not provide routine keyholding, alarm maintenance or property management. |
| Authorised keyholder | Provide access when appropriate, carry out a property check once it is safe, operate the alarm as agreed and document damage. | A keyholder should not confront an intruder or enter a property where an intruder may still be present. |
A keyholding arrangement in Athens gives you someone with authorised access. It should sit alongside a clear security response plan.
Calling the police or emergency services
From within Greece, 100 is the number for immediate police assistance. 112 is the free emergency number for situations requiring urgent help from the police, fire service, ambulance service or other emergency responders.
Greek Civil Protection states that 112 operates around the clock and that operators answer in Greek, English and French. See the official guidance on when and how to contact 112.
Calling 112 from another European country normally connects you to the emergency services where you are calling from. It does not directly connect you to Athens.
For an owner abroad, this makes a local contact and an agreed monitoring procedure particularly useful. Keep the property’s full address, floor, apartment details and access instructions available to your nominated responders. Save the direct telephone number of the relevant Greek police station before you travel.
If you suspect a real break-in
Do not ask a neighbour or keyholder to enter and look for an intruder.
If camera footage, signs of forced entry or other information suggest a break-in, contact the police through your local responder or monitoring company. Explain what is known and follow police instructions.
The person attending should:
- Stay outside and avoid confronting anyone.
- Provide the police with the address and relevant information.
- Preserve available camera footage and alarm notifications.
- Avoid touching, moving or cleaning anything that may be evidence.
- Arrange photographs and temporary security measures once the police permit it.
- Notify you so that you can contact your insurer and approve necessary repairs.
Do not reset the alarm or disturb the property before the police have given appropriate instructions.
Our guide explains what to do if your Athens property is broken into or burgled, including reporting the incident and preparing information for your insurer.
If it appears to be a false alarm
An alarm activation can have several causes, including:
- A power interruption or a failing backup battery.
- Insects or spiders close to a motion sensor.
- Curtains moving in a draught or near an air conditioner.
- A door or window that has not closed properly.
- A faulty sensor or another technical problem.
Power interruptions and weather-related problems are covered in our guide to storms and empty homes in Greece.
Review the available information and follow your monitoring company’s procedure. A quiet camera view does not prove that every part of the apartment is clear.
Where a visit is appropriate, an authorised person can check the property once it is safe, identify an obvious cause and reset the system if they have permission and know how to operate it. Repeated unexplained activations should be referred to the alarm installer.
Set up your response plan before you leave
Appoint a local keyholder
Give your chosen person the necessary keys, clear access instructions and permission to carry out agreed tasks.
Where the system allows it, provide a separate user code rather than sharing your main code. Explain how to disarm and rearm the system, and keep access information secure.
Agree the monitoring contact order
Tell the monitoring company whom to call first and what to do if that person cannot answer.
Confirm whether your keyholder has agreed to receive alerts and what availability they can offer. Being listed as a contact does not guarantee immediate attendance.
Test and maintain the system
Have the alarm serviced as recommended by its installer. Check sensors, notifications, communication connections and backup batteries.
Arrange any test with the monitoring centre so it knows the activation is planned.
Keep essential power available
Alarms, cameras, routers and some communication equipment need electricity. Check what backup power your system has and how long it is expected to last.
Include these checks in your home watch checklist.
Inform the building manager
Let the building manager know whom to contact if the siren sounds or damage is noticed in a shared area. Explain that nobody should enter to investigate a suspected intrusion.
Our guide explains what the building manager does in a Greek apartment building.
Check your insurance conditions
Your policy may have requirements concerning an unoccupied home, alarm maintenance, inspections or notification of an extended absence.
Check the wording with your insurer and read our guide to Greek home insurance for overseas owners.
“An alarm signal indicates that an incident has occurred. However, the signal does not provide information on the nature of the incident.”
Yanis Zisis, Founder of Home Watch Athens
How Yanis helps after an incident
Yanis holds keys for Home Watch Athens members and can provide authorised access and practical follow-up when an incident affects an empty property.
Home Watch Athens is a property oversight service. Attendance is subject to availability, and membership does not guarantee an immediate or overnight alarm response. Suspected intrusions should be handled through the police and your contracted security provider.
Once access is safe and permitted, Yanis can:
- Check the property and send photographs through WhatsApp.
- Document visible damage with dated photos and written notes.
- Take appropriate steps to limit further damage, such as isolating a water supply where safe.
- Help arrange temporary securing of a damaged door or window.
- Coordinate repair attendance with your approval.
See the details of the emergency property check service.
Emergency visits and additional work are charged separately from the monthly membership. Repairs and associated costs require your approval.
Regular property inspections can identify visible maintenance problems between your visits. They also give you a local person familiar with the apartment and its access arrangements.
For broader preparation, read our guide to leaving an Athens home empty.
Last reviewed: 5 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Will my security company send someone when the alarm sounds?
That depends on your contract. Some services provide monitoring and telephone notifications; others include patrol attendance. Ask whether a patrol can enter the apartment, who supplies access and whether attendance costs extra.
Will the police reset my alarm?
Police deal with suspected crimes and emergencies. Routine alarm resetting, maintenance and securing the property afterward need a separate arrangement with an authorised keyholder or suitable contractor.
Can I call 112 in Greece from abroad?
Dialling 112 from another European country normally reaches emergency services in the country where you are calling. Arrange a local Athens contact and save a direct Greek police contact number before leaving.
Should my keyholder enter to check for intruders?
No. If an intrusion is suspected, the keyholder should remain outside, contact the police and follow their instructions. A property check can take place once it is safe and access is permitted.
What causes false alarms in an empty apartment?
Possible causes include power interruptions, failing batteries, insects near sensors, moving curtains, unsecured doors or windows and equipment faults. Repeated activations need assessment by the alarm installer.
Does Home Watch Athens provide a guaranteed 24-hour alarm response?
No. Members can request assistance, but attendance depends on availability. Arrange any immediate security response through a licensed security provider and use the police for suspected crimes.
What should I arrange before leaving?
Appoint an authorised keyholder, agree the monitoring contact order, test the system, maintain its backup batteries, keep essential power available and check your insurance conditions.