Since the beginning of this year, anyone wishing to rent out their property to tourists must have a registration number to do so, and also report every rental. Those who fail to do so risk a fine. Since the beginning of this year, 88 registration numbers have been applied for, the municipality informs.
From 1 January, it is compulsory for all landlords of (part of) their own properties to tourists to have a registration number and to mention it in the advertisement. The obligation to state a registration number is laid down in the Housing Bye-Laws of the Municipality of Katwijk, which were adopted in May last year. It also states that renting out one's own home will be reduced to a maximum of 63 days per year. This is to ensure that homes are not bought up for rental and there is more supply for house seekers.
B&B
But not all rentals to tourists have to be reported through this new system. The registration and notification requirement does not apply to tourist rentals from a building that is not a home, such as a hotel, guest house or holiday home at a holiday park.
Anyone who purchases a property and wants to rent it out permanently must apply for an environmental permit. This also applies to residents who run a Bed &Breakfast. This violates the environment plan and requires an environmental permit.
Registration number
The application for a registration number goes through a national registration system, www.toeristischeverhuur.nl. That number must then be mentioned in every advertisement, on all platforms such as Booking or AirBnB. Landlords must then notify every new tenant through the Tourist Rental Registration System. This can be done up to a year in advance up to and including the day of guests' arrival. Cancelling or changing a notification can be done up to one day prior to the rental.
Enforce
The municipality must start enforcing the new rules. 'We do this through administrative and physical supervision,' a spokesperson informs. For instance, officials will check online ads, review a list of vacant properties and get information from the Chamber of Commerce and the Land Registry, among others. Officials will also check the address of a property offered online, and visit properties to see if tourists are present in violation of the rules.
Fines
And residents who try to circumvent the rules must also pull out the purse strings. The fine for offering accommodation for tourist rental without a registration number is 2,500 euros. If the same offence is found a second time, the fine is 7,500 euros. Those caught for the third time will pay 9,000 euros.
A landlord who fails to report the rental through the tourism platform and is discovered will face the same fines. Anyone who will rent out a residential property to tourists for more than 63 days will be fined 7,500 euros for the first offence, rising to 22,500 euros.
Summer cottages tolerated
Renting out summer cottages turns out to be another story. The annexes are not covered by the housing regulation, so no registration number needs to be applied for. They do fall under the environmental permit. Alderman Mostert said last spring in the discussion on the new housing regulation that the municipality is not going to do anything about renting out annexes, such as summer cottages. 'Those are not legally dwellings,' Mostert said. He then advised the council not to develop a policy on outbuildings. 'Because then this hall is really much too small.'
When asked, the municipality said in a response to questions about the current policy from 1 January that 'at present, the rental of existing summer cottages is tolerated.'
By Marieke Kamer-Voorn
