Spain cracks down on Airbnb: Tens of thousands of illegal apartments have disappeared from the market
The Spanish Ministry of Consumer Protection has ordered Airbnb to remove more than 65,000 short-term accommodation offers that do not meet legal requirements. The information was reported by Reuters. The move is part of a wider government effort, in which regional and municipal authorities have also joined, to curb unregulated tourist accommodation offered through platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com.
Many Spaniards say the massive boom in such services is contributing to urban tourist congestion, reducing housing affordability and driving up rents to the point where many locals can no longer afford them. Most of the listings removed were missing mandatory details such as the licence number or information on the type of owner – i.e. whether it is a natural or legal person, the ministry said.
Minister Pablo Bustinduy stressed that the crackdown is aimed at curbing uncontrolled and often illegal rentals, protecting consumers’ rights while improving housing affordability.
Among the most significant measures in this effort is Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni’s decision last June to order a complete end to short-term tourist rentals by 2028 – which will affect some 10,000 apartments.
The restrictions affect accommodation across the country, including Madrid, Andalucía and Catalonia. Monday’s call for the removal of the adverts was also backed by the Supreme Court in Madrid.The intervention comes at a time of growing civil resistance in Spain against rising housing costs. In the Canary Islands, for example, large demonstrations were held on Sunday to express their opposition to the negative effects of the current tourism model.
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