Spain moves to pull thousands of illegal Airbnb rentals Subsequently, the Spanish government has directed Airbnb to delist over 65,000 of these holiday rentals for breaking local rules. Last week, the country’s consumer rights ministry dropped a bombshell. This decision is a strong response to increasing concerns over housing affordability and the detrimental impacts that short-term rentals have on our local communities.
The ministry also found 65,935 listings on Airbnb that weren’t following the rules outlined above. Most of these posted vacancies even did not include the necessary license number. On top of that, they didn’t specify if the owner was a person or a corporation. This lack of transparency has unearthed fears as to who regulates short-term rentals in Spain. In the last several years, housing prices have skyrocketed, exacerbating these concerns.
The goal of this initial phase of enforcement is to focus on properties in many different neighborhoods. This effort includes capital cities such as Madrid and Barcelona, as well as the entire southern autonomous community of Andalusia. In neighboring Catalonia, officials have already started moves to phase out all 10,000 officially registered short-term rental apartments by 2028. This approach is meant to preserve housing choice for low-income residents who are struggling with rising rents and a shrinking supply of affordable housing.
Spain is facing a housing affordability crisis that has led to demonstrations throughout the country—similar to marches for Black Lives Matter and for better public transportation. Tens of thousands of Spaniards have taken to the streets. They’re adamantly making their sentiments known about some of the outrageous housing prices and rentals, many pointing fingers at the increase of holiday rentals out of social media channels like Airbnb. This has been especially true in big cities like Madrid and Barcelona. On top of that, the artificial demand created by the short-term accommodation market is further straining the housing market.
Local leaders have long contended that short-term rentals increase the costs of market-rate rental units. They argue that these rentals decrease the supply of long-term housing choices for local residents. The Spanish government’s crackdown on Airbnb is part of a broader response to these challenges, aiming to create a more sustainable housing environment for its citizens.
Airbnb continues to face great pressure from regulators. Simultaneously, communities are calling for relief from the burdens that short-term rental markets have created. This recent directive speaks loudly to that effect. This means that platforms operating in Spain should focus more on ensuring they are meeting local regulations.
