Should you Buy a House Boat?
House boats in Amsterdam seem to be the perfect idyllic picture for a perfect life in Amsterdam. Make no mistake about it however; there are many rules about living in a house boat, making it even more difficult for expats to understand the rules about what they need and what they can and cannot do. For example, you need to pay for special permits to have your house boat at a certain location. On top of that, there are fewer options for mortgages, and the options you have are always more expensive. Besides that, your house boat in Amsterdam legally requires proper sewering, and there are specific rules about maintenance that need to be strictly kept. And on top of that, there are some minor rules that you need to keep in mind, such as that you’re not allowed to leak the dirty water from washing the outside of your boat into the open water. The rules for house boats in Amsterdam are very specific and hard to satisfy, making it less advisable for expats to choose for the option of living in an Amsterdam house boat.
