Airbnb gets a green light from Amsterdam

Just in time for summer tourists, Amsterdam has approved operations for Airbnb in the Dutch city.

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Known for its stunning canals and art museums and totally nothing else, Amsterdam had joined cities like Quebec and New York in making Airbnb private home and apartment rentals illegal.

However, the city council has reversed that decision, according to a report over at Nu.nl. Previously, the city had cited safety concerns and the shortage of available housing for Amsterdam’s own citizens.

But since Airbnb-type rentals of private homes account for such a small percentage of overnight stays in the city, the transactions are now kosher, provided the homeowner actually lives in the home full-time and isn’t simply using it as income property. Also, the city stipulates that no more than four people can occupy an Airbnb-rented house at one given time.

The U.S., however, stubbornly remains uncool where Amsterdam forges ahead with the legalization effort. In New York, for example, one Airbnb renter was recently slapped with a $2,400 fine for renting out his East Village apartment for three nights in September for $300. The startup is playing the hero in that case, offering legal aid with the renter’s and his landlord’s appeal of the case.

Image credit: josef.stuefer/a>