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Amsterdam Using Airbnb Listings To Identify Illegal Hotels
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."
You what?!! Want to do something with your own property WITHOUT government approval!!!
No, that's just a strawman created by left wing ideologues. In fact, what's objectionable about these kinds of so-called "health and safety laws" is that they often serve the interests of big powerful businesses and hurt the interests of most people, by increasing prices, reducing choices, and increasing barriers to entry.
Who do you think has the most to gain from making competition from private rentals illegal in Amsterdam? Condo owners who need to be "protected" from rental revenues and appreciation of their apartments? Local merchants who benefit from more tourism? Obviously not. The idea that private rentals, which exist and work all around the world, are a threat to city residents, or health or safety is ludicrous.
This law is clearly designed to protect big, soul-less, corporate-style hotels (and Amsterdam has a lot of those) against new, cheaper, and better competition. It's quite ironic that you try to defend such corporate welfare as consumer protection against business. But, of course, that's normal for these kinds of laws. The problem with people like you is not that you are "collectivist", is that you let yourself be manipulated for corporate agendas.