Vacation Rentals in Amsterdam

Most travelers still book a hotel or a hostel, but plenty of people would rather rent an apartment and live like a local for a week. Amsterdam has vacation rentals, but the city has strict short-term rental rules, and they tightened again in 2026. Before you fall for a canal-view apartment online, find out whether it's legal. The city goes after illegal listings, and a booking with a host who is breaking the rules is a booking at risk.

Here's how rentals work in Amsterdam now, and what to check before you book.

The rules, in short

Amsterdam calls renting out a whole home to tourists, while the owner is away, a holiday rental (vakantieverhuur). The city's holiday rental rules say the host needs:

• A registration number, which has to appear in every advertisement.
• A holiday rental permit for the home.
• A report to the city for every stay, filed before the guests arrive.

On top of that, a home can be rented to tourists for at most 30 nights a year, and to no more than four people at a time. The city's own 2026 policy document defends the four-person cap on fire-safety grounds, even though families have complained about it.

New in 2026: 15 nights in the busiest neighborhoods

Since 1 April 2026, the limit has been cut to 15 nights a year in eight neighborhoods: Burgwallen-Nieuwe Zijde, De Weteringschans, Grachtengordel-West, Grachtengordel-Zuid, Haarlemmerbuurt, Jordaan, Nieuwmarkt/Lastage and Oude Pijp. That's most of the canal ring, the Jordaan and the old center: exactly where most visitors want to stay. Expect fewer legal whole-apartment listings there, and higher prices for the ones that remain.

You may read elsewhere that holiday rentals are banned outright in parts of the center. The city did bring in a ban for three central neighborhoods in 2020, but the courts, and finally the Council of State, struck it down. The 15-night rule is the city's replacement.

Why it matters to you as a guest

The fines fall on the host, not on you. According to the city's fines page, a private host pays €1,500 for advertising without a registration number, renting without a permit, or failing to report a stay, and platforms pay €5,000 per listing without a number. But a host in trouble with the city is not someone you want holding your summer booking, so check for yourself.

What to check before you book

1. Look for the registration number. Legal listings in Amsterdam show one. No number is a red flag.
2. Count the guests. A whole apartment "sleeping six" can't legally be rented as a holiday rental to six people. Groups larger than four should look at hotels, hostels or two separate rentals.
3. Check the neighborhood. In the eight 15-night areas, a host who takes bookings all summer is probably breaking the rules.
4. Budget for the tourist tax. The city charges 12.5% of the overnight price, and that covers apartments and short-stay rentals as well as hotels. See whether it's included in the price you're shown.
5. Be wary of long-term sites. Craigslist Amsterdam still exists, but it's mostly longer-term housing, and a request to wire a deposit before you've seen a contract is the classic scam.

Legal alternatives that feel like an apartment

• Bed and breakfasts. A licensed B&B is a room in someone's home: the host has to live there and be home at night, and there's a four-guest limit. You get local knowledge along with the key. See our Amsterdam B&B page.
• Houseboats. Staying on the water is one of the most Amsterdam things you can do. Our houseboats page covers the options.
• Hotel rooms with kitchens. Some hotels and aparthotels offer studios with a kitchenette, which gets you the self-catering part without a private host. See our hotels section.
• Staying further out. Oud-West, De Pijp (outside Oude Pijp), Oost and Noord are a short tram or metro ride from the center. Our guide to choosing where to stay in Amsterdam compares the neighborhoods.

What to look for in any rental

A rental is different from a hotel room, so pay attention to things a hotel would handle for you:

• Stairs. Amsterdam's canal houses have famously steep, narrow staircases and rarely an elevator. A "fourth-floor apartment" can mean hauling your suitcase up something closer to a ladder.
• Location and noise. Is it close to what you want to see? Is it over a bar, or next to a church whose bells ring early?
• Beds. Does "sleeps 4" mean four beds, or two people on a sofa bed in the living room?
• Getting around. If it's outside the center, how far is the nearest tram or metro stop? Public transport runs on tap-in, tap-out with an OV-chipkaart or a contactless bank card. See our getting around section.
• What's included. Linens and towels, a real kitchen or just a microwave, and wifi that reaches the place you'll sit.
• Cleaning. Is it in the price, or a separate fee at checkout? Are you expected to strip the beds or take out the trash?
• Support. Who do you call if the heating dies at 10pm: the owner or a management company?

And agree an arrival time and stick to it. There's no reception desk, so someone has to meet you with the keys, or send you a lockbox code. If you're running late, message them.

Still weighing your options? Our accommodation section covers hotels, hostels and everything in between.

photo by Sue Elias