It is a microcosm that develops on the fringes of tourist accommodation but is experiencing meteoric growth. Within a year, the number of people registered on HomeExchange, one of the leading home exchange websites, increased by jumped by 50%. A total of 150,000 people, a third of whom are French, have registered their house or apartment on this platform, which is compensated by its members with an annual contribution of 160 euros.
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The system has so far developed unhindered. But in the Netherlands and Scotland, authorities fear the spread is spiraling out of control because they fear they are dealing with a future Airbnb. Unlike the American platform, HomeExchange is not about exchanging money: when you welcome people into your home, you can collect points (“guest points”). A virtual currency that you can then use to go into a house or apartment.
However, the city of Amsterdam believes that this form of transaction puts the system in the category of tourist rental. The HomeExchange platform lists 2,000 available accommodations in the Dutch metropolis, making it an important player in the housing supply. “Apart from the fact that the accommodation is far from always free! They are rented for two to three weeks a year,” replies Emmanuel Arnaud, director of HomeExchange. In total, 3,900 groups or families came to Amsterdam via HomeExchange this year, which corresponds to 71,000 “tourist nights” (total number of nights per person).
Controls and sanctions
Starting March 1, 2024, the city will apply restrictions similar to Airbnb. Users of HomeExchange and other exchanges must register their accommodation on the municipality's website, pay an annual permit (43 euros), limit the loan of their accommodation to thirty days per year and report to the city immediately upon receiving people in their home. The city also prohibits the use of this system in a second home and limits the number of people accommodated per accommodation to a maximum of four (except families with more than two children). Controls and associated sanctions are planned from 2025.
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“Amsterdam has had a policy to combat tourist rentals for many years, as it has a negative impact on the quality of life in certain parts of the city,” explains Rory van den Bergh, spokesman for the city of Amsterdam. Amsterdam, which has taken various measures to limit the impact of mass tourism. For example, in 2023, it launched a campaign on social networks (“Stay away”) to prevent the arrival of visitors who disrupt the peace of residents, namely groups of “men aged 18 to 35”, particularly British.
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