The city of Groningen is taking measures against an explosive growth of rooms being rented through Airbnb
The city council would like to introduce a maximum of rooms that can be rented in the city. Councilor Roeland van der Schaaf (PvdA) proposed to the council that no more than two rooms per building should be rented to tourists, as reported by the Dagblad van het Noorden.
More and more houses in the city of Groningen are being used as short-term rental properties for tourists. As a result, they are no longer considered residential properties. According to research, around a thousand homes in Groningen are rented out. Sixteen percent of them throughout the year. From now on, renting complete homes won’t be allowed.
The number of investors putting money into this lucrative market in Groningen is increasing. The investors tend not to offer rental houses for permanent residence, but rather charge a much higher price for tourist accommodation, or as a “short-stay” address for a few weeks or months.
Alderman Roeland van der Schaaf calls the development worrying. “The tourist rental of houses puts extra pressure on the already tense housing market in Groningen, where house prices have risen sharply in recent years and there is also a shortage of rental houses. In addition, Airbnb guests cause inconvenience in residential areas. Especially in the Schildersbuurt, the municipality receives many complaints from local residents. “
As a measure, Groningen is introducing a registration and reporting obligation for Airbnb hosts, among others.
If they do not comply with this, they risk a fine. As a result of a legislative amendment that the government is preparing, municipalities have more options for taking action.
Image via Pxfuel
