Is there a “decent” alternative to Airbnb? Amsterdam to investigate

The majority of the members of the municipal council of amsterdam support exploring the possibility of bringing to market an alternative to vacation rental platforms like Booking.com and Airbnb that will adhere to city rules on vacation rentals.

Respect the rules of Amsterdam

According to figures from real estate consultant Colliers, in 2018, 41% of the accommodations offered on the Airbnb platform were rented for longer than the 60 days allowed per calendar year. In 19% of cases, they were even rented for more than 120 days!

Airbnb disputes the figures reported by Colliers, saying the company used an incorrect calculation method. According to the vacation rental giant, only 3.2% of the accommodations on offer are rented for more than 60 days, not the 19% reported by Colliers. As of January 2019, the number of days you are allowed to rent your property has been reduced to 30.

Massive fines

Since 2017, those who rent their property to holidaymakers are required to inform the municipality. However, a measly 25% actually do. If you are caught renting your accommodation without notifying the municipality, you risk a fine of 6,000 euros. This fine could also go up to 20,500 euros if other conditions are also not met.

Many city council members wonder if the current approach to illegal vacation rentals is enough. Daan Wijnants, board member of the VVD, pleaded for a “more effective approach to excesses”. PvdA Councilor Tom Leenders wants the city to make it easier for residents to report illegal rentals.

Bring new competition to the market

Housing alderman Laurens Ivens has repeatedly invited vacation rental companies to chat, but his invitation has been ignored. The city therefore wants to look for a decent alternative to the current vacation rental sites.

During a committee meeting, Fairbnb, an Italian rental company that actively fights fraud, was mentioned several times. Leenders offered to facilitate or establish a healthy balance for Airbnb.