Amsterdam City Council cuts Airbnb rental term in half

The city council of amsterdam decided to reduce the number of days residents can rent their accommodation to tourists. Previously, this period was 60 days, but as of January 1, 2019, it will only be 30.

Airbnb in Amsterdam

Renting out your home to tourists through sites such as Airbnb and Booking.com has become extremely popular. In 2013, 4,500 properties were let to holidaymakers in Amsterdam.

Last year, the number of properties rented to tourists was 22,000, a massive increase from 2013. Airbnb was the most popular, with 19,000 rental addresses in the Dutch capital. The significant growth in accommodation rented to tourists has had an impact on the living environment in some areas of Amsterdam.

According to research carried out by the municipality, these vacation rentals bring in 220 million euros a year for letters and businesses and only cost them around 76 million euros. In 2017, Airbnb changed its website, preventing letters from renting their properties through the website if they had reached the 60-day limit during that calendar year.

New rules also came into force and, since last October, residents who rented their property to vacationers had to notify the municipality, even if they only rented their accommodation for one night. Failure to notify the municipality is punishable and results in a fine of 6,000 euros.

Break the rules

According to research by data analyst Nico van Gog and Airbnb data expert Murray Cox, more than 6,000 properties rented on Airbnb break the rules. These properties are rented for longer than the legal term of 60 days.

Of these 6,000 properties, approximately 5,000 are permanently rented to tourists, and are thus withdrawn from the Dutch housing market. Another 1,000 properties break other rules, such as the number of people staying in the property at the same time, which is set at four.

The future of Airbnb in Amsterdam

According to Airbnb figures, last year 60% of properties listed were rented for a period of 30 days or less. Another 35% of properties were rented for 31 to 60 days, and the remaining 5% for more than 60 days.

In 2019, the rental limit will be halved to 30 days. Airbnb is disappointed with this decision and sees Amsterdam‘s economy losing 43 million euros as a result, and the limit is having a negative impact on Amsterdam families, businesses and neighborhoods.

By limiting the rental period, the city council wants to mitigate the impact of tourism on residential environments. Airbnb believes it has already taken steps to improve this, as it has limited the duration of rentals on its website, is sharing information with the municipality, has set up a point of contact for disruptions and is helping to distribute tourists in the city.