Landlord forces Amsterdam woman to rent her home on Airbnb

The landlord of a home in Amsterdam Centrum forced their tenant to rent out the home through Airbnb for the maximum 30 days Amsterdam allows, according to !Woon, an organization that helps tenants and homeowners in Amsterdam navigate the housing market. The woman turned to !Woon when her landlord refused to let her cancel her lease.

The woman's lease contract stated that she must rent out the home on Airbnb for 30 days a year and that she had to leave her home while tourists rented it. Placing the Airbnb ad and reporting the rental to the municipality of Amsterdam was the tenant's responsibility. The money raised by this tourist rental went to the landlord.

The woman did not have to pay rent on the days that her home was rented to tourist, and could stay in the landlord's home elsewhere in the city center while not able to use her home. Her rent was still 1,200 euros a month.

When the woman tried to cancel her temporary lease, the landlord refused unless she paid the full two years of the contract, according to !Woon. The organization helped her cancel the contract and she has since moved.

The rental construction was also reported to the municipality of Amsterdam, which was "not amused", according to the organization. "The enforcement department has launched an investigation", !Woon said.