Holiday rentals can be a great way for some people to make some extra money on the side but Amsterdam has been wanting to limit it as much as possible as a lot of people do it illegally. They are going to be introducing a number of new rules for 2020 and hope that this will help towards solving the housing shortage in the capital. These new rules will come into effect starting from next year.
Permit for eight years
According to a press release, starting next year, you will be required to apply for a permit for a Bed & Breakfast. It will be valid for eight years, not five years as announced before. Tenants who have been living at their home for at least six months and have gotten permission from their landlord can also be granted a permit. They will also not be allowed to transfer the permit to someone else’s name.
If anybody has applied for a permit before 2019 ends, they will be allowed a transition period of five years before they have to make the necessary arrangements.
Flexibility for houseboats – but only until the end of 2019
Anyone looking to rent out their houseboats to tourists will continue to enjoy some flexibility until the end of this year. However, starting from 2020, they will have to comply to the same rules as the B&B’s and room rentals.
Fixed number of permits
However, it does not mean that everyone will be able to apply for these permits. The government will be setting a fixed number of Bed & Breakfast permits which can be issued for a particular neighbourhood. This number can vary depending on the neighbourhood itself. If there are more permits applied than is allowed, RTL Z reports that “lots will be drawn”.
They are also going to go ahead with the cap on a maximum of 30 days per year of renting your house to tourist. They alderman is also entertaining the idea of banning holiday rentals altogether in certain neighbourhoods, but nothing has come to pass.
What do you make of these rules? Do you think they will help solve the housing shortage in Amsterdam? Let us know in the comments below!
Feature Image: TeroVesalainen/Pixabay
