The municipality of Amsterdam has intimated that the short-term rental of properties in the city via websites such as Airbnb will not be banned, provided certain conditions are met.

Fire safety and tax evasion

Earlier this year the city announced that is would be intensifying its investigations into properties listed on websites such as Airbnb.

Their concerns lay in the fire-safety regulations for hotels which some apartments were found not to have followed, as well as the potential tax avoidance of people renting via the websites.

Incentive to tourism

A further consideration for the gemeente was that the properties listed were contributing to the already fiercely competitive Amsterdam housing market, but research has shown that the effect is, in fact, minimal.

The research conducted by the municipality found that the market for these properties actually acted as an incentive towards the growth of the tourism sector and thus the economy of the city.

Regulations to be strictly enforced

Despite this partial u-turn by the city authorities, any properties that wish to partake in these holiday rental websites will have to abide by strict regulations.