Sky’s the limit for homeowners in Amsterdam. House prices continue to rise. People in Amsterdam who also put there house up for temporary rent through Airbnb can earn a nice additional income. It’s important though to abide by the rules. Not long ago an Amsterdam renter was handed a record fine for breaking those rules. Where to look out for?
In Amsterdam you can rent your house through Airbnb, but the local government has set up a number of rules where you have to abide by. Mind those, as fines for breaking those rules can add up quickly.
A 297.000 euro fine
The owner of a building with 11 apartments was handed a fine because he rented those apartments for more than 60 days through Airbnb. The fine was set at € 13.500,-, but unfortunately for the renter this was only for one apartment, with a € 148.500,- fine as a result. Rental services were operated by managing company Iamb&b. They were handed the same fine. According to local government illegal hotel activities were taking place here. Nearby residents made the local authorities aware of the fact illegal activities were carried out.
The fine wasn’t only issued because the apartments were rented longer than 60 days. It was also due to the fact those apartments didn’t have owners, a requisite to rent through Airbnb.
Does renting your house have risks?
You don’t have to be scared of the fines issued by the municipality of Amsterdam, mentioned earlier in this article. As long as you follow the rules, you won’t get into trouble with local authorities. The story changes if your tenants create disturbance or if you rent your apartment to more than 4 people. That’s not permitted.
You also have to take other risks into account as well. Make sure your your insurance company is aware of the fact that you are renting your apartment. That to prevent that your insurance company won’t pay when there has been a fire, because the insurance company wasn’t informed properly.
Which requirements are applicable when renting through Airbnb?
In summary the municipality of Amsterdam has formulated the following demands/requirements:
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A maximum of 30 days renting per year (from the 1st of January 2019)
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The house or apartment has a main tenant
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Renting the object doesn’t cause any disturbance
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A maximum of 4 tenants at once
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A tourist tax is required
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The house must have a residential use
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The association of owners has given permission
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The house has to be fireproof
With the right guidance renting is profitable
Stories about fines scare people. But they shouldn’t. It may occur that tenant cause some disturbance, but disturbance must have a long term character before any measures will be taken. In this context the object you buy plays an important role. A noisy apartment is more likely to cause complaints than an apartment with isolated walls.
Do you want to know more about buying a house or apartment in Amsterdam? We are happy to help you finding your ideal living situation.
