Short-Term Rental of a Residence

Would you like to rent out a room, apartment, or house for a short period? This is possible on Bonaire, but only under certain conditions. On this page, you can read about when this is permitted and what you need to keep in mind.

What does this product or service mean?

What should you pay attention to?

You can check the Bonaire Spatial Development Plan (ROB) to see if tourist rentals are permitted on your property.

Renting out a property for a short-term stay means that a room, apartment, or house is temporarily rented to tourists or other temporary guests. This is also known as recreational lodging or tourist rental.

You are not permitted to rent out a property for short-term stays everywhere on Bonaire. Short-term rentals are only permitted in areas zoned for:

Recreation
Mixed-use

In residential areas, short-term rentals are generally not permitted, unless a specific exemption has been granted.

Exception: Work-related Stay
A stay of less than three months in a residential area is permitted only if it is not for tourism purposes.

The tenant must demonstrably be working on Bonaire.
This must be proven with, for example, an employment contract.

In that case, it is considered temporary housing for work purposes, not recreational accommodation.

When can you apply for this?

You may rent out a room, house, or apartment to the same person or household for a maximum of 90 consecutive nights.

You may rent to 4 different people or households per year, for a maximum of 90 nights each time.

Nuisance
You are jointly responsible for the behavior of your guests.
You must prevent disturbances to neighbors.
If disturbances are reported or observed, the Supervision & Enforcement Department may launch an investigation.

Fire Safety
The residence must comply with the regulations of the BES Building Code.
This means, among other things, that the residence must be fire-safe.

How do you apply for this?

Here’s how to rent out your home for a short period:

Check the Bonaire Spatial Development Plan (ROB) to see if short-term recreational stays are permitted in your neighborhood and at your location.
Decide whether you want to rent out a room, an apartment, or an entire home.
Verify that you meet the conditions for short-term rentals.
Ensure your property complies with the rules regarding safety and the prevention of disturbances.

Reporting Disturbances or Illegal Rentals

Are you experiencing disturbances caused by people renting a property in your neighborhood? If so, you can contact the Caribbean Netherlands Police Force (KPCN).

Do you suspect that a property is being rented out illegally?
If so, you can file a report with the Supervision and Enforcement Directorate.

Who can you contact?

Directorate of Supervision and Enforcement (T&H)
Adress: Kaya Grandi 56-58
Telephone: (+599) 790 0707
Email: bisami_th@bonairegov.com

Opening hours
Monday through Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

What do we do with your personal data?

When you submit a request or report, the Public Entity of Bonaire needs your personal data. The Public Entity of Bonaire handles your data with care.

The BES Personal Data Protection Act specifies how the Public Entity of Bonaire must do this.

The most important rules are:

The Public Entity of Bonaire only requests data necessary to process your request or report.
They record and process your data securely, confidentially, and with care.
Your data will only be used for the application or report, or for something directly related to it.
Your data will not be retained longer than necessary for the application or report.
Other organizations will only receive your data if required by law.
You may ask how your data is being used and what happens to it.