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Amsterdam Using Airbnb Listings To Identify Illegal Hotels

Posted by Unknown on from the couch-not-up-to-code dept.

An anonymous reader writes "In a move that might dampen the popularity of Airbnb's site for Amsterdam, the city government is now using the accommodation listing service as a source of tips about illegal rental property. 'Airbnb is never a smoking gun,' said Jan-Jaap Eikelboom, spokesman for the city of Amsterdam, regarding use of the service. But the government does use Airbnb and its competitors to compare its own nuisance data with street listings on sites like Airbnb, and has been doing so for a while, he said. This combined information can come in handy when investigating suspicious buildings and can help with spotting illegal activity, he said."

6 of 141 comments (clear)

  1. Are we all supposed to know what Airbnb is? by nuckfuts · · Score: 4, Informative

    I for one have never heard of it.

    1. Re:Are we all supposed to know what Airbnb is? by DarwinSurvivor · · Score: 4, Informative

      The submitter could have done that just as easily and saved hundreds of people the effort.

    2. Re:Are we all supposed to know what Airbnb is? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      It's really not rocket science. An "illegal hotel" is (of course) an unlicensed hotel.

      The reasons these are of concern is primarily safety. These kind of illegal hotels often violate basic fire safety rules, and are death-traps in case of a fire. Remember that most buildings in the inner city of Amsterdam are old (2-3 centuries old is not exceptional). If you cram dozens of people in such buildings without basic fire safety precautions and safety exits, that's a recipe for disaster. Indeed, people have died in fires in illegal hotels over the past years.

      In addition, these locations are crime magnets.

      So, is it so odd that the Amsterdam municipality wants to get rid of them? Me thinks not.

    3. Re:Are we all supposed to know what Airbnb is? by leuk_he · · Score: 4, Informative

      That is exactly what the officail stance is...

      Volkskrant (dutch)

      Taxes, fire safety, and illegal rent.
      Illegal rent: social rented space that is sub-rented.

    4. Re:Are we all supposed to know what Airbnb is? by TheRaven64 · · Score: 3, Informative

      A building can be safe for small numbers of people but unsafe for larger numbers. A single narrow winding staircase might be fine for evacuating two people, but be a problem for 10. This is why hotels, private homes, and houses rented for multiple occupancy all have different rules.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  2. Amsterdam is motivated due to safety concerns by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    Amsterdam needs to regulate hotels due to serious safety concerns. You know, checking for fire code regulations, that kind of thing. If the city doesn't do it, then people just 'trust' the people running the place to ensure its safety. Last year at least two people died, and Amsterdam is serious.

    http://www.at5.nl/artikelen/82520/uitslaande-brand-nieuwezijds-voorburgwal

    Few were surprised to later learn that building was being used as an illegal, unregulated hotel.

    If anyone can rent their 'whatever' via airbnb, then such an unregulated and dangerous market would flourish.