Complete Guide to Airbnb Rules in Amsterdam 2026: Registration, Permits & Compliance

Amsterdam might charm millions of visitors every year, but for anyone running vacation rentals here, it’s also one of Europe’s most heavily regulated cities. Hosting a short-term rental in Amsterdam means navigating a system built around mandatory registration, strict night limits, fire safety standards, tax obligations and an active enforcement team that monitors Airbnb listings just as closely as guests do. These rules exist to protect residential neighborhoods and prevent the housing stock from turning into unregulated hotels and they apply to every Airbnb host, whether you’re offering a temporary rental of your entire home or operating a small bed and breakfast within your primary residence.

This guide breaks down how the city of Amsterdam regulates vacation rentals in 2025, what permits you need, how many nights per calendar year you’re allowed to host, how tourist tax and income tax work and what happens when the rules aren’t followed. It also walks through the upcoming 2026 changes that may introduce even tighter limits in certain neighborhoods. The goal is simple: give you a clear, practical understanding of what’s required to operate legally.

What this guide covers

You’ll get a clear overview of:

1. How Amsterdam defines each rental type: vacation rentals, temporary rentals and bed and breakfasts, and why the distinctions matter.

2. Registration and permits: when you need them, how to apply and what your registration number must be used for.

3. Core rules and regulations: night limits, guest caps, fire safety standards and what must happen before guests arrive.

4. Tax obligations: tourist tax, cleaning costs, rental income and how these tie into your income tax return.

5. Enforcement and upcoming changes: how the city monitors compliance and what proposed 2026 rules might mean for hosts.

This guide stays focused on compliance, not hosting strategy or tourism recommendations.

Who this is for

This guide is designed for:

• Airbnb hosts renting out an entire Amsterdam home

• Residents offering a bed and breakfast at their primary residence

• Property owners exploring temporary rental options

• Property managers overseeing short-term rentals or holiday rentals

• First-time hosts trying to understand how Amsterdam’s rules apply to their listing

• Anyone whose homeowners association (VvE) requires proof of compliance

If you want to host legally without worrying about non compliance, fines or misunderstandings around local regulations, this guide is for you.

Why this matters

The municipality of Amsterdam enforces holiday rental rules seriously. Officials routinely check Airbnb listings, cross-reference addresses with the personal records database and track how many nights per calendar year each home is rented. Violations, from missing pre-rental notifications to exceeding permitted nights, can result in fines that start around €1,500 and climb to €20,500 depending on the severity.

Some situations lead to even stronger penalties, especially when hosts rent out housing corporation properties, fail to meet fire safety standards or operate a tourist rental that isn’t a main residence. In short, hosting in Amsterdam is completely legal but only when you follow the rules closely.

What you’ll learn

By the end of this guide, you’ll understand:

• The differences between holiday rentals, temporary rentals and bed and breakfasts

• How to complete the mandatory registration and obtain a registration number

• The permit requirements for both entire-home rentals and bed and breakfasts

• How to file pre-rental notifications correctly

• How to stay within the city’s night limits

• What tourist tax and income tax obligations apply to hosting

• How to ensure your home meets fire safety standards

• How to avoid the fines most commonly issued to hosts

• What changes may affect you in 2026

With that foundation in place, let’s break down how Amsterdam’s rental categories work and what compliance looks like in practice.

Understanding How Amsterdam Regulates Short-Term Rentals

Here’s the thing, Amsterdam doesn’t treat all short-term rentals the same. The city draws a sharp line between holiday rentals, bed and breakfast operations and temporary rental setups. Once you understand which category your rental falls into, the rules start to make more sense.

Vacation rentals: renting out your entire home

This is the classic Airbnb scenario: you rent your entire Amsterdam home to tourists while you’re away. Amsterdam calls this holiday rental or private vacation rental. To qualify, the property must be your main residence and you must be registered there in the personal records database. It also comes with the city’s strictest limits, including:

• A cap of 30 nights per calendar year

• A maximum of four guests

• Mandatory registration and a holiday rental permit

• Pre-rental notification every time guests arrive

• Full compliance with Amsterdam’s fire safety standards

Holiday rentals are meant for occasional income, not commercial operations. The municipality of Amsterdam actively monitors Airbnb rentals to ensure entire homes aren’t being used as permanent tourist rentals.

Bed & breakfast: renting out part of your home

A bed and breakfast arrangement works differently. You remain living on-site while guests use a portion of your residential space. There’s no annual night limit here, but Amsterdam imposes a different set of rules:

• You must live at the same address during the guest's stay

• You can rent only part of the home

• No independent residential space (such as a studio with its own entrance)

• Maximum of four guests

• Mandatory bed and breakfast permit

• Registration number displayed on all listings

• A guestbook with arrival and departure information

Many Amsterdam hosts choose this setup because it allows more hosting flexibility while still complying with local regulations. The trade-off is that guests share your home, which isn’t for everyone.

Temporary rental: renting out your home while you’re away

Temporary rental is designed for residents who leave the city for a short period and want to cover part of their cost of living by renting out their home. You still need a permit, you must remain registered at the address as your primary residence and every rental period has to be reported before guests arrive.

Temporary rental is not a workaround for holiday rental rules. It’s simply another legal pathway designed for residents whose living situations change briefly.

The Registration System: Your First Required Step

Every tourist rental in Amsterdam, regardless of type, must begin with mandatory registration through the national tourist rental registration system. Once you complete the online form, you’re issued a registration number, which must appear in every Airbnb listing, Booking.com listing or profile on other platforms.

The municipality cross-checks the registration number with the personal records database. If these records don’t align or if the property is owned by a housing corporation, your listing may be flagged or removed. Amsterdam is strict about this: no registration number, no legal listing.

Registration also acts as the city’s first filter to ensure that hosts only rent out residential space and not summer houses, sheds, garden buildings or boats, all of which fall outside what Amsterdam considers legal residential space.

How Permits Work for Holiday Rentals and Bed and Breakfasts

Once you’re registered, the next step depends on your rental type.

Vacation rental permits

Vacation rentals require a holiday rental permit, which costs €73.30 in 2025. The permit expires on 1 April of the following calendar year, no matter when you apply. This means a mid-year application doesn’t extend the time frame, you’ll still renew on the same cycle as every other holiday rentals host.

The application is processed quickly, often within an hour. That said, the municipality can revoke permits if you violate rules, exceed permitted nights, or fail to file pre-rental notifications.

Bed & breakfast permits

Bed and breakfasts have their own permit structure and permits are limited in some areas. Even though bed and breakfasts don’t have a night  cap, they must meet fire safety standards and be inspected if concerns arise. The host must be the main resident, meaning you handle communication, guest reception and daily oversight.

The 30-Night Rule and What It Really Means for Hosts

Amsterdam’s 30-night limit is one of the most misunderstood rules in the short-term rental world. The cap applies to holiday rentals where the entire home is rented out. If you reach 30 nights per calendar year, Airbnb may automatically block your calendar, but you're still responsible for compliance. Exceeding the limit is considered a significant violation and can lead to fines.

This rule exists to prevent homes from turning into de facto hotels. Amsterdam wants housing to remain primarily for residents, not for the tourism economy and this night limit is central to that strategy.

The rule does not apply to:

• Bed and breakfast

• Temporary rental in approved circumstances

• Long-term rentals

But many hosts accidentally blend categories, which is where issues begin. Staying clear about your rental type helps avoid fines and unnecessary stress.

Pre-Rental Notifications: Why They Matter

Before guests arrive, you must submit a notification to the municipality. This isn’t a formality, it’s how Amsterdam tracks holiday rentals and ensures the rules apply to each stay. Missed notifications are one of the most common violations and they often happen simply because hosts forget.

The system requires:

• Notification before guests arrive

• Accurate dates for the guests arrival and departure

• New notifications if plans change

Skipping this step sends a signal to the municipality that the rental may be operating outside the legal framework.

Fire Safety Standards Every Host Must Meet

Amsterdam requires all Airbnb rentals to meet fire safety standards meant to protect residents, guests and neighboring buildings. Compliance includes:

• Working smoke detectors

• Clear evacuation routes

• Appropriate fire extinguishers

• Safe electrical installations

These requirements apply to both holiday rentals and bed and breakfast operations. If Amsterdam inspects your home, which they can do unannounced, missing equipment or unsafe electrical setups may result in fines or permit suspension.

Even though fire safety standards may feel basic, they’re one of the simplest ways to stay compliant and protect your guests.

Tourist Tax, Income Tax and How to Stay on the Right Side of the Tax Authorities

Taxes are a core part of Amsterdam’s rules and regulations for holiday rentals.

Tourist tax

Guests staying in vacation rentals or bed and breakfasts must pay tourist tax. This includes:

• A percentage of the rental rate

• A €3 per person per night charge for guests 16 years and older

• Cleaning costs are factored into the calculation

Airbnb may collect tourist tax on your behalf, but that doesn’t remove your responsibility to register with the tax authorities or submit your annual tourist tax return. The city may audit tax filings for years afterward, so keeping clear records matters.

Income tax

Rental income must be declared in yeq4our income tax return and most hosts report 70 percent of the rental income as taxable. The tax and customs administration may request documentation related to income, cleaning costs and any operational expenses. Hosts should keep records for at least seven years.

Vacation Rental vs Bread and Breakfast: A Quick Comparison

Here’s the difference at a glance:

For some hosts, renting the entire home makes sense because it offers more privacy. Others prefer bed and breakfast because there's no annual night cap. Both require registration and compliance with Amsterdam’s rules.

Common Challenges and Solutions

Challenge 1: Exceeding the 30-night limit for vacation rentals

Solution: Track your permitted nights proactively instead of relying solely on Airbnb’s automated calendar blocks. Amsterdam enforces the 30 nights per calendar year rule strictly and even one extra booking can result in penalties.

Keep a simple log of confirmed stays and blocked dates. Most hosts find it helpful to close long weekends and high-demand dates once they approach the limit to avoid accidental overbooking.

Challenge 2: Missing pre-rental notifications

Solution: Build the notification step into your booking workflow. Amsterdam requires hosts to report each stay before guests arrive and missing a notification is one of the most common and preventable fines.

Add a quick reminder to your confirmation message template or use a calendar alert on the day you accept a booking. When notification becomes part of your routine, compliance stops feeling like extra work.

Challenge 3: Confusion between rental categories

Solution: Make sure you’re operating under the correct classification: vacation rental, bed and breakfast, or temporary rental. Each one has different rules around guest limits, night limits, host presence and allowable space.

A good rule of thumb is this: If you rent your entire home and you’re not present, it’s a vacation rental. If you rent part of your home while you’re living at the same address, it’s a bed and breakfast. If you rent your home while you're away temporarily, that's a different category.

Once you know where you fit, the rules become far easier to follow.

Challenge 4: Meeting fire safety standards

Solution: Review your home the same way an inspector would. Amsterdam expects every rental property to have working smoke detectors, clear escape routes and safe electrical fixtures. These requirements apply to both entire-home rentals and bed and breakfasts.

Walk through the space with a checklist. If you’re not sure whether something meets the city’s expectations, assume it needs improvement. A small investment in safety gear now avoids bigger problems later.

Challenge 5: Navigating tourist tax and income tax

Solution: Treat tax recordkeeping as part of your hosting workflow. Tourist tax applies to nearly every stay and rental income must be reported on your income tax return. Even if Airbnb collects tourist tax for you, you’re still responsible for registering and filing.

Keep a folder, physical or digital, with income summaries, cleaning costs, permit costs and booking confirmations. Having everything organized makes tax season routine instead of stressful.

Upcoming 2026 Changes Every Host Should Know

Amsterdam is considering new rules that would further restrict rentals in high-pressure neighborhoods. If approved, these changes would take effect on 1 April 2026 and reduce the permitted nights from 30 to 15 nights per calendar year in areas such as:

• Jordaan

• Grachtengordel-West

• Grachtengordel-Zuid

• Nieuwmarkt/Lastage

• De Pijp

If hosts in these districts have already rented their home for 15 nights by April, they won’t be able to host again for the rest of the year. If you're planning for 2026, keep this shift on your radar.

Conclusion And Next Steps

Amsterdam’s short-term rental market isn’t the easiest place to operate, but the rules become far more manageable when you understand the city’s logic. Registration, proper permits, fire safety standards and consistent reporting form the backbone of legal hosting. Add the 30-night limit, tourist tax obligations and the distinction between vacation rentals and bed and breakfasts and you have a clear framework for staying compliant.

For hosts who take the time to learn the system, vacation rentals can still be a meaningful source of income. The key is to build compliance into your routine instead of treating it as an afterthought.

Additional Resources

Although this guide outlines the most important rules for hosting in Amsterdam, there’s always more to learn. The resources below provide further guidance from official city channels.

City of Amsterdam  Holiday Rental Tourist Tax form: https://www.amsterdam.nl/formulieren/belasting-heffingen/aanmeldingsformulier

City of Amsterdam  Holiday Rentals and Bed & Breakfasts Requirements: https://www.amsterdam.nl/en/housing/holiday-rentals-b-b/

City of Amsterdam  Holiday Rental Cancellation Form: https://formulieren.amsterdam.nl/TriplEforms/LoketAmsterdam/formulier/nl-NL/evAmsterdam/scVakantieverhuurAnnuleren.aspx/Inleiding

KVK Dutch Chamber of Commerce (Dutch language)  Step by Step Guide for Bed & Breakfast: https://ondernemersplein.kvk.nl/stappenplan-bed-breakfast-starten/

City of Amsterdam Tourist Tax Registration Form (Dutch language): https://formulier.amsterdam.nl/thema/belasting-heffingen/aanmeldingsformulier

City of Amsterdam Tourist Tax Information (Dutch language) : https://www.amsterdam.nl/belastingen/aangifte-(toeristenbelasting-vmr)/#mj033r6w069rvd7ebfe

City of Amsterdam Tourist Tax Declaration (Dutch Language) : https://belastingbalie.amsterdam.nl/digid.info.php

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can you use a property manager or co-host to handle your Amsterdam Airbnb if the home is your main residence?

Yes, you can use a co-host or property manager to help with guest communication, cleaning and logistics. What you cannot delegate is the legal responsibility tied to registration, pre-rental notifications and compliance with Amsterdam rules. The main resident remains the legally accountable party, even if a management company handles day-to-day hosting.

2. Are you allowed to rent your Amsterdam home while major renovations are happening?

Not usually. If construction or renovations make the home unsafe, partially inaccessible, or out of compliance with fire safety standards, Amsterdam considers the property temporarily unsuitable for tourist rentals. You must wait until the home meets all safety and habitability requirements again before hosting guests.

3. Can Amsterdam homeowners insure their rental differently if they only host a few nights a year?

Most Dutch home insurance policies don’t automatically cover tourist rentals, even for occasional hosting. Homeowners typically need to purchase add-on coverage or a short-term rental endorsement. Without this protection, insurance may not cover guest-related damage or incidents, something many new hosts overlook until after an issue arises.

4. Does Amsterdam allow you to combine long-term tenants with occasional tourist rentals?

No. If a home has a long-term tenant registered at the address, the tenant becomes the “main resident,” and only they could legally operate a bed and breakfast and only while living on-site. Long-term tenancy and vacation rentals cannot operate simultaneously in the same residential space because it breaks the city’s requirement that the host must be the main resident listed in the personal records database.