Spanish court rejects Airbnb appeal and keeps order to block nearly 66,000 listings
MADRID (AP) — A Spanish court on Thursday rejected an appeal by Airbnb and left in place an order to block almost 66,000 rental listings that the government said violated local rules.
The government has said the platform's short-term rentals exacerbate Spain's housing crunch while the country welcomes record numbers of tourists.
Last month, Spain's government ordered Airbnb to block 65,935 listings in the country after the Consumer Rights Ministry flagged them for violations. It said Airbnb had to immediately take down 5,800.
An Airbnb spokesperson could not be immediately reached for comment on the Madrid's High Court's decision.
The ministry has said the listings it flagged did not include their license number or specify whether the owner was an individual or a company. It said others listed numbers that didn't match what authorities had.
Last month, Consumer Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy told The Associated Press that the tourism sector could not "jeopardize the constitutional rights of the Spanish people,' including their right to housing and well-being.
Carlos Cuerpo, the economy minister, said in a separate interview that the government had to tackle the unwanted side effects of mass tourism.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
2 hours ago
- Fox Sports
British sports get $1.2B from government to help host major events
Associated Press LONDON (AP) — British sport is getting a cash injection of more than 900 million pounds ($1.2 billion) from the government to help with the staging of big events such as the men's European Championship soccer tournament and Grand Departs in the Tour de France. The money will also be used to help deliver a bid by soccer federations in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to host the Women's World Cup in 2035, the government said Thursday in announcing the funding commitment. While more than 400 million pounds ($540 million) will go toward investment in new and upgraded grassroots facilities around Britain, the rest of the money will be spent on what the government described as 'major sporting events.' They include the men's Euros in 2028, staged alongside Ireland, as well as the Grand Departs of the Tour de France in men's and women's cycling in 2027 and the European Athletics Championships in 2026. 'Together, this strategic investment in sport will help to deliver on the government's mission to kickstart economic growth by creating jobs, driving regional prosperity and encouraging visitors to the UK,' the government said in a statement. 'It is also designed to reduce barriers to opportunity, bring communities together through shared national moments and showcase the best of the UK to the world.' ___ AP sports: recommended in this topic
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
NYers reveal how they feel about Airbnb in new poll
A majority of New Yorkers don't want to give Airbnb access to the Big Apple's housing market, a new poll says. The survey, paid for by the Airbnb rival Hotel Gaming and Trades Council and obtained by The Post, found that while the home-share-app giant recently funneled $5 million into a super PAC to influence Big Apple elections, 56% of city residents want nothing to do with the short-term-rental system. 3 Home-sharing short-term rental app Airbnb wants to come back to the Big Apple with few restraints, but a majority of New Yorkers say otherwise, a new poll says. Bloomberg via Getty Images 'New Yorkers are not falling for Airbnb's lies,' said Whitney Hu, director of civic engagement and research at Churches United for Fair Housing. 'The vast majority of families are struggling to stay in their homes, and they want politicians who will pass legislation that makes our city more affordable, not less,' she said. 3 A $1 million ad paid for by Airbnb urges New Yorkers to oppose three mayoral candidates who have called for stifling it. Youtube/ Affordable New York Of the residents surveyed in the HTC, 38% said they supported Airbnb in the city, while 6% remained unsure. The numbers appeared to be non-partisan, with 57% of Democrats and 58% of Republicans opposing the short stays. Concerns among the city dwellers centered on the housing crisis — with more than 80% of respondents expressing worry about a diminished regular housing supply with the short-term rentals. Airbnb suffered a major blow in 2023 when the City Council passed Local Law 18 — effectively banning the home-share app involving any apartment where the current tenant or owner wasn't present. Late last year, a bill aiming to revive the app's short-term rental market was introduced and sponsored by a slew of City Council members of varying progressive leanings, including Speaker Adrienne Adams. Since then, Airbnb opened a $5 million super PAC — Affordable New York — in which it donated more than $2.1 million to support the campaigns of 13 candidates for public office, including 11 for city council. The tech giant has also spent $1 million on an opposition ad against mayoral candidates Zohran Mamdani, Brad Lander and Scott Stringer — all of whom are progressive but want heavy restrictions on Airbnb in the city. 3 A major hotel-industry group paid for the poll. SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Though the ad that aired earlier this month did not endorse any candidates, it promoted the interests of frontrunner candidate former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The move was a puzzling nod to a candidate who is endorsed by the HTC, which directly opposes and competes with Airbnb. 'As governor, Andrew Cuomo took action against unregulated short-term rentals, and he's promised to continue to stand up for tenants and workers as mayor,' noted HTC Political Director Bhav Tibrewal in a statement to Politico earlier this month. 'If Airbnb thinks it's a flex to publicly light their money on fire, we're happy to not stand in their way on this one,' he said. Airbnb policy chief Michael Blaustein said, 'Regular New Yorkers deserve the same rights as all Americans – renting their home when they're away for short periods. 'A broad coalition of homeowners and small businesses are behind common-sense changes to the city's strict short-term rental rules that will allow New Yorkers to share their home without taking a single unit off the long-term housing market,' he said.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Erick makes landfall in southern Mexico as a Category 3 hurricane
The storm threaded the needle between the resorts of Acapulco and Puerto Escondido, tearing into a sparsely populated stretch of coastline near the border of Oaxaca and Guerrero states, with heavy rains and winds. (AP Video by Luis Alberto Cruz and Amaranta Marentes)
