After Amsterdam, other Dutch cities consider rules to deal with Airbnb

Map showing Airbnb locations in central Amsterdam
Map showing Airbnb locations in central Amsterdam

Officials from Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht are talking to the economic affairs ministry about drawing up rules for Airbnb rentals, Trouw said on Tuesday.

The Netherlands’ biggest cities after Amsterdam have seen a sharp rise in the number of properties available for rent on the website: a 120% increase in Utrecht, 60% in Rotterdam, and 47% in The Hague.

Amsterdam signed a memorandum of understanding with the rental platform in 2014. The agreement sets out rules governing maximum occupancy per property and the number of nights a property may be rented. Airbnb has also agreed to pay tourist tax to the council on behalf of its landlords.

However, many hosts still break the rules, and the council is considering cutting the maximum number of nights from 60 to 30.

House prices

With over 11,000 properties available in the city, many see Airbnb as a threat to the city’s small stock of available private sector housing and as driving up house prices.

The agreement between Amsterdam and Airbnb was recently extended to the end of 2016.

Berlin has banned short-term rentals of whole apartments through Airbnb and similar online services without a special permit.

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