Plans to end Amsterdam leasehold hit a snag

Plans to abolish Amsterdam's leasehold system could face substantial delays, after concerns were raised by Alderman Eric van der Burg, the Telegraaf reported. The official wrote a secret memo detailing sixteen potential risks that the legislation change may face, the newspaper stated. Van der Burg wrote the abolition of leasehold is likely to face problems stemming from shortage of skilled staff and conflicts with existing legal and tax rules. Furthermore, it is difficult to estimate the effects an abolition of leasehold would have on the city treasury. The city collects about 80 million euros annually in real estate leasehold fees. The municipality of Amsterdam is considering allowing homeowners to buyout the lease in one lump sum. In that case, the city would nominally remain the official owner of the property. However, no additional charges will be made to the inhabitants. This model, according to van der Burg, is supposed to be launched in summer of 2016. Opposition political parties, such as PvdA and Groenlinks, have called for open debates on the subject matter.