Since July 1, a city permit has been required to rent out an apartment on a short-term basis in the Netherlands, and in Amsterdam, the system is off to a slow start. Although Airbnb and others list thousands of apartments around the city, only 1,275 permits have been issued as of late August.
The city doesn’t suspect wholesale rule violations, though. The permits, which still limit legal rentals to 30 days per year, do not have to be applied for until there is an actual rental arranged, and so far, tourism has been so low after the city’s coronavirus lockdown was lifted, that there are few takers.
Bed-and-breakfast operators, who work under different rules, have taken out a bit over 2,000 permits.
Violating the short-term rental rules can carry hefty penalties; since July 1st, six landlords who chose not to pay for the €45 permits have been fined a total of €20,750 for violations.
Photo: PHeymont/TravelGumbo
