Looking to book an Airbnb in Amsterdam? Maybe think again

Were you hoping to find a three-night Airbnb stay for your upcoming trip to Amsterdam? Well, we hate to be the bearer of bad news — but you may struggle. 😬

The rental platform Airbnb, among others, has lost major listing availability in Amsterdam due to a registration requirement enforced by the municipality.

As of April 2021, the city of Amsterdam requires a permit and a registration number from those who wish to rent out their property. And if you have no permit? You’ll have major problems — up to €21,750 in fines to be exact. 💸

The results: a drastic drop in Airbnb listings

Amsterdam is certainly not losing its popularity, but according to the NOS, the number of listed Airbnb addresses took a sharp drop from 16,648 to just 2,924. 😱

Combined with other providers such as Booking.com and Expedia, among others — the total number of short-term rental properties in the Dutch capital plummeted from 18,715 to 4,128.

A permit system to tackle Amsterdam’s housing crisis

The municipality’s latest addition regarding a registration number comes in as an effort to prevent houses from being solely rented out to tourists. Decisions that come as no surprise with the existing Dutch housing shortage out there. 🏚

There have been several attempts to restrict holiday rentals in Amsterdam, such as a maximum rental period of 30 days per year along with a maximum of four tenants at a time — all of which was impossible to track since platforms don’t share data. 💳

READ MORE | Amsterdam’s old city centre will be Airbnb-free from July 1

As a result, there are now several Airbnb guidelines in place for Amsterdam hosts. The website additionally deactivated any ads without a registration number as the company is actively cooperating with Amsterdam city’s measures.

What do you think of the latest measures and consequences of Amsterdam’s permit system? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Y-Boychenko/Depositphotos

Farah Al Mazouni 🇸🇾 🇺🇸
Farah Al Mazouni 🇸🇾 🇺🇸
Farah believes she's been on many adventures during her millennial life, each for a different (sometimes invisible) purpose. The latest adventure whisked her away to Amsterdam for love, and what a magical surprise she found in this city. Armed with imaginary confetti in her pocket, and ready to celebrate all wins, big and small, Farah says "ahla w sahla" or “welcome” to her latest adventure in this wonderland.

1 COMMENT

  1. Amsterdam has been much better place to spend time in with less tourists so it looks like the locals will fully support this. Airbnb and the low cost airlines have contributed to the problem of too many tourists in Amsterdam during most of the year. Most locals have not missed tourists during the Covid outbreak.

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