Airbnb drops Amsterdam properties for violating hotel laws

In December Airbnb removed at least 170 Amsterdam accommodations from the site because they do not comply to the company's rules, the Volkskrant reports after speaking to individuals who rent out their homes on Airbnb. According to the newspaper, the owners of the 170 Amsterdam accommodations received an email from Airbnb early in December stating that their ad would be removed by December 23rd. The reason in the email was that those accommodations do not provide "the authentic travel experiences that Airbnb guests look for." The company did not respond with exact figures in the Volkskrant's article, but a spokesperson for the Amsterdam municipality did say that the removed accommodations involved "apartments which clearly act as illegal hotels in the eyes of Airbnb." The spokesperson continued that the municipality was definitely not involved in the action, but is pleased with the initiative.