Transcript

Amsterdam just halved its Airbnb limit. Today. · STR Unpacked

Ben: Morning and welcome to your short-term rental bulletin. Amsterdam just halved its Airbnb limit as of today. So as of today, hosting Amsterdam city centre and other regions close to the centre can only rent out their home to tourists for 15 nights a year down from 30. The new cap which took effect on the 1st of April applies to all 10 central neighbourhoods. This isn't a ban, this is the latest step on what Amsterdam calls the escalation ladder. a tiered system where stricter measures kicking based on compliant data and livability indicators. And tier seven, a temporary total ban on vacation rentals in Pacific neighborhoods is up for three years. So we're still on the table. The city is also piling on the cost side. A national VAT hike on accommodation from nine to 21 % pushes local tax burdens on visitors to roughly 33.5%. For context, Amsterdam's Airbnb listings dropped 54 % between 2019 and 2024 following the 30-night cap. Yet long-term rents rose 34 % over the same period compared to 13 % across the rest of the Netherlands. Airbnb's own report published this month uses this data point to argue that restrictions aren't working as intended. The city disagrees and the cap is now live. Thank you for watching your Doctor of Mental Bulletin. I'll see you tomorrow.