Spain orders Airbnb to take down 65,000 holiday homes in row over house prices
Many of the holiday rentals do not include a licence number or specify whether the owner was an individual or a company, the consumer rights ministry said.
Bustinduy said the properties had 'violated various norms regarding housing for tourist use'.
'No more excuses. Enough with protecting those who make a business out of the right to housing in our country,' he told reporters on Monday.
Airbnb has announced it will appeal the decision, stressing that 'no evidence of rule-breaking by hosts has been put forward' by the Government.
According to official data, there are 321,000 homes with holiday rental licences in Spain – 15% more than in 2020.
It is the world's second most popular tourist destination, attracting 94 million overseas visitors last year. The tourism sector accounts for 12% of the country's GDP.
Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez previously said, 'there are too many Airbnbs and not enough homes', while Barcelona's mayor has pledged a total ban on tourism rentals by 2028.
In January, Sánchez blamed foreign buyers for Spain's housing crisis and threatened to increase sales tax on home purchases for non-EU citizens by up to 100%.
While current British residents in Spain would be unaffected by the proposals, new buyers relocating for a life in the Mediterranean sun could soon face double taxation.
It is one of a series of measures launched to tackle the country's housing crisis. Seville's city hall, for example, ruled that water can be cut off to a property that is unlicensed after rent prices surged in the Andalusian capital.
Anti-tourism protests are deterring British holidaymakers from going to Spain, according to Steve Heapy, the chief executive of Jet2.
He said there was a perception among some people that overseas visitors were not welcome in the country.
While current British residents in Spain would be unaffected by the proposals, new buyers relocating for a life in the Mediterranean sun could soon face double taxation.
It is one of a series of measures launched to tackle the country's housing crisis. Seville's city hall, for example, ruled that water can be cut off to a property that is unlicensed after rent prices surged in the Andalusian capital.
Anti-tourism protests are deterring British holidaymakers from going to Spain, says Steve Heapy, the chief executive of Jet2.
He said there was a perception among some people that overseas visitors were not welcome in the country.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
9 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Greenpeace warns Govt oil/gas ban reversal will open up mining across NZ
Resources Minister Shane Jones is calling for mining companies to restart oil and gas exploration in New Zealand. Photo / Mike Scott Greenpeace is sounding the alarm as Government minister Shane Jones extols the benefits of reversing the oil and gas exploration ban, including opening up 'all acreage' of New Zealand for mining. Jones, speaking at the Asia Pacific Energy Assembly in Singapore this week in his capacity as Resources and
Scoop
9 hours ago
- Scoop
Electricity Authority Supports Rule Change To Boost Impact Of Rooftop Solar
The Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko (Authority) is encouraging lines companies to make use of the wider voltage limits, announced by the Government today. These new wider limits come into effect later this year and will enable greater use of rooftop solar energy systems to supply power to the local network. Over time, this will increase the contribution small and locally generated energy resources will make to the network - including those owned by consumers, such as rooftop solar systems. The Authority welcomes this regulatory change and has issued an open letter today outlining how it expects lines companies to bring it into effect. "In our open letter, we encourage the country's 29 lines companies to make the most of the new wider voltage limits so all New Zealanders can reap the benefits," says Authority General Manager Networks and System Change Tim Sparks. "People with rooftop solar on their homes or businesses and other small electricity generators will see a better return if they can supply more power to the network. But more importantly, wider voltage limits support lower prices for all New Zealanders over the long term. "Solar energy in particular, is very cheap to generate at certain times of the day. The more the system can draw on these cheap, local sources of power, the lower the costs for everyone. Advertisement - scroll to continue reading "This regulatory change recognises the important role consumers will play in New Zealand's electricity system in the future. There are more than 69,000 residential solar connections, across the country, many of which already supply electricity to the network. "In the near future, households and businesses charging electric vehicles will also be able to play a part, by putting the vehicle battery's stored energy back into the network when it's needed. Consumer-supplied electricity is growing internationally. This regulatory change anticipates a similar increase in opportunities for New Zealanders to participate in the electricity system. "The letter we issued today give lines companies clear direction on what's needed at an operational level, so the benefits of wider voltage limits can be realised sooner rather than later. "Widening voltage limits is a critical step towards supporting a shift to a decentralised electricity system. The Authority is currently inviting people to join the discussion about a decentralised system and how it can unlock more affordable, clean, secure and resilient energy for all New Zealanders," Sparks said. Notes: The Electricity Authority is an independent Crown Entity with the main statutory objective to promote competition in, reliable supply by, and the efficient operation of, the electricity industry for the long-term benefit of consumers. The additional objective of the Authority is to protect the interests of domestic consumers and small business consumers in relation to the supply of electricity to those consumers.
Scoop
10 hours ago
- Scoop
Predator Free Wellington Wins The Supreme Award At The 2025 LGFA Taituara Local Government Excellence Awards
Wellington City Council's groundbreaking initiative, Predator Free Wellington, has claimed the highly coveted Taituarā Supreme Award for Local Government Excellence at last night's Taituarā Excellence Awards event. Predator Free Wellington was selected from a field of 60 entries submitted by councils from across the sector, underscoring its exceptional impact and innovation. The judging panel praised the initiative, stating 'Predator Free Wellington is an exemplar of building social licence and deputising the community to assist with delivery. The clear and meticulous plan for rolling this programme out is both readily scalable and highly transferable to projects of any type. We were also highly appreciative of the clear and unambiguous evidence of the success of this project.' The Supreme honour follows Predator Free Wellington's success in also securing the GHD Award for Excellence in Environmental Leadership. This marks the second year in succession that the winner of the Environmental Leadership category. Last night's ceremony marked the 11th year of the Excellence Awards in their current format. Over this period, a remarkable 11 different councils have proudly taken home the Supreme Award, showcasing the diverse and widespread excellence within New Zealand's local government. Other entries recognised with Excellence Awards last night were: The Beca Award for Placemaking: Ashburton District Council for Te Whare Whakatere – Recreating the Heart of Ashburton The Award for Excellence in Collaborating for Results: Hastings District Council, Napier City Council and Hawke's Bay Regional Council, Stronger Together: Council's buyout puts people at heart The Datascape Award for Excellence in Digital Local Government: Auckland Council, Buzzly The FrankGroup Award for Excellence in Community Engagement: Wairoa District Council for Wairoa Whakapiri - Uniting Through Recovery Te Tohu Waka Hourua (the Buddle Findlay Award for Māori/Council Partnerships): Taupō District Council for He Whare Hono o Tūewharetoa The Award for Excellence in Cost Effective Impact: Hurunui District Council for Hurunui District Water Safety Programme. In addition to winning the Placemaking category, Ashburton District Council's entry won the Members' Choice Award – voted for by the members of Taituara. Other winners announced on the night: The Sheffield Emerging Leader of the Year Award – Ashley Hurua, Horowhenua District Council. The AskYourTeam Overseas Manager Exchange to Queensland – Brent Harvey, Horowhenua District Council The AskYourTeam Overseas Manager Exchange to Victoria – Steven May, West Coast Regional Council The Civic Financial Services Overseas Manager Exchange to the United States – Steve Gibling, Selwyn District Council The Marsh Overseas Manager Exchange to British Columbia – Jenni Cochrane, Matamata-Piako District Council The Auckland Council team, Rarunga, won the NZ leg of the Australasian Management Challenge from a field of 14 teams. Rarunga will represent New Zealand at the Australasian final in the finals in Perth.
