House-owners in Amsterdam hoping to make a quick buck over the summer have been slapped with a fine instead. The municipality has snapped up €387,000 in fines for illegal holiday rentals.
The municipality’s enforcement officials have hit the streets and the web, responding to reports from neighbours and checking online listings to find homes that are being illegally rented.
What are the rules for holiday rentals in Amsterdam?
Rules in Amsterdam prevent homeowners from renting their house for more than 30 days in a one year period, and limit the maximum of guests to four people.
However, the homeowner has to notify the municipality and have permission from the the homeowners association for their building or area (VvE).
The new rules have caused Airbnb availability to take a hit in Amsterdam in recent years.
Summer is like Christmas for the Municipality
“The nuisance is particularly high during the busy holiday periods, because homes are too often rented out to too many people,” the Amsterdam municipality said.
Te huur Open Air B&B, centrum Amsterdam, veilige buurt.
Compleet met tafel & stoelen, Led-TV en magnetron-oven. Eigen beddengoed meenemen. Koffiezetapparaat niet op foto.
€ 75.- per nacht minimaal 3 nachten.
Geen schoonmaakkosten. Eigen opgang. Roken toegestaan.#airbnb Boek Nu! pic.twitter.com/7b4fCVDuMs— Ton ?-DAM (@photodam) August 7, 2019
If a homeowner fails to inform the municipality and are caught out they face a fine of €6000. That’s preferable to a fine for an illegal holiday rental, however, which can run the homeowner up to €20,500. That’s a pretty expensive Airbnb!
But it’s not empty threats: the munipality slapped three people with the first fine in one month – and eighteen homeowners with the second. Ouch!
Will Illegal Airbnbs Become a Criminal Offence?
It could be worse for these hosts. There were calls from politicians just this year to quadruple the fine for an illegal holiday rental to €83,000!
It comes with after it was revealed that at least 821 of Amsterdams social housing homes were being rented out on Airbnb, with the municipality talking about making illegal subletting a criminal offence.
Have you seen any tight Airbnb restrictions? Know someone slapped with a fine? Let us know in the comments below!
Image: Carina Persson on Pixabay
I did receive a fine! Or more precisely a letter mentioning that there’s the intention to fine me cause i didn’t have my house registered, 6000 euros!! The letter comes together with pictures, comments of my Airbnb profile and conversations with guests. I totally unknown the regulation in detail and always understood that this requirement was applicable to those exceeding the maximum permitted by law, 30 days.
I’ve only rented my apartment for 18 days the whole year, which makes no doubt that I’m not making a fraudulent use of my apartment, it seems just ridiculous and disproportionate a fine like this for a profile like mine. I hope this doesn’t go any further, it’s way excessive. I’m not making an illicit use of my apartment, i just missed an administrative step…6000!
What happened in the end? Did you have to pay the fine?