Spain orders removal of more than 65,000 Airbnb tourist rentals it says violate regulations
Spain has launched a major clampdown on Airbnb properties, ordering the removal of over 65,000 holiday rental listings across the country that fail to comply with regulations.
The Spanish Consumer Rights Ministry cited several violations, including missing licence numbers, not specifying whether the owner was an individual or a corporation, and discrepancies between listed information and official records.
The crackdown comes against the backdrop of Spain's growing housing affordability crisis, which has sparked widespread protests over rising rents and home prices.
Many Spaniards blame short-term rentals on platforms like Airbnb for worsening housing shortages, particularly in popular tourist destinations like Madrid and Barcelona.
On Monday, Spain's Consumer Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy said the move aimed to address the general "lack of control" and "illegality" in the holiday rental business.
"No more excuses. Enough with protecting those who make a business out of the right to housing in our country," he told reporters.
The nationwide enforcement primarily targets listings in Madrid, Andalusia, and Catalonia, where tourism is most heavily concentrated.
The ministry said it had notified Airbnb about the noncompliant listings months ago, but that the company had appealed the move in court.
Spain's government said Madrid's high court had backed the order sent to Airbnb.
Bustinduy said it involved the immediate removal of 5,800 rental listings from the site. Two subsequent orders would be issued until the total of 65,935 removals is reached, he said.
Official data shows Spain had approximately 321,000 licensed holiday rentals as of November last year- a 15 per cent increase since 2020 - with many more operating without proper licenses.
The Consumer Rights Ministry opened an investigation into Airbnb in December last year.
Airbnb told Euronews Travel it will continue to appeal against all decisions linked to this case.
Related
Another summer of disruption? Spain's anti-tourism protests reignite ahead of Easter break
Planning a trip to Spain this summer? Here are all the new rules and regulations you need to know
'No evidence of rule-breaking by hosts has been put forward, and the decision goes against EU and Spanish law, and a previous ruling by the Spanish Supreme Court,' a spokesperson said.
'The root cause of the affordable housing crisis in Spain is a lack of supply to meet demand. The solution is to build more homes - anything else is a distraction."
The spokesperson added that governments across the world are seeing that regulating Airbnb does not alleviate housing concerns or return homes to the market: "It only hurts local families who rely on hosting to afford their homes and rising costs.'
Last year, the Spanish government launched a general crackdown on holiday rentals amid growing frustration among residents who say mass tourism is aggravating a housing crisis.
Locals say they are being priced out of their cities due to gentrification and landlords favouring more lucrative short-term tourist lets.
Barcelona has already taken aggressive measures to address the problem, announcing plans to eliminate all 10,000 licensed short-term rental apartments by 2028 to prioritise housing for permanent residents.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Spain's economy minister says ‘overtourism' challenges need to be addressed
MADRID (AP) — Spain could receive as many as 100 million tourists this year, according to some projections, which the country's economy minister said poses challenges for residents that the government can no longer afford to ignore. Last year, Spain received a record 94 million international visitors , making it one of the most visited countries in the world. 'It's important to understand that these record numbers in terms of tourism also pose challenges,' Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said in an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press. 'And we need to deal with those challenges also for our own population.' Tourism is a key sector for the Southern European nation's economy, which grew faster than any major advanced economy last year at 3.2%, and is projected to grow at 2.4% this year, according to the Bank of Spain, well ahead of the expected eurozone average of 0.9%. But a stubborn housing crisis in which home and rental costs have skyrocketed in cities such as Madrid, Barcelona and elsewhere has led to growing frustration about one aspect tied to tourism in particular: the proliferation of short-term rental apartments in city centers. The country has seen several large protests that have drawn tens of thousands of people to demand more government action on housing. Signs at demonstrations with slogans such as 'Get Airbnb out of our neighborhoods' point to the growing anger. In response, the government recently announced it was cracking down on Airbnb listings that it said were operating in the country illegally, a decision that the company is appealing. 'We are a 49 million-inhabitants country,' Cuerpo said. The record numbers of tourists illustrate the 'attractiveness of our country, but also of the challenge that we have in terms of dealing and providing for a good experience for tourists, but at the same time avoiding overcharging (for) our own services and our own housing,' he said. The Bank of Spain recently said the country has a deficit of 450,000 homes. Building more public housing is critical to solve the problem, Cuerpo said. Spain has a lower stock of public housing than many other major European Union countries. 'This is the key challenge for this term,' the minister said of the country's housing woes. On the possibility of more U.S. tariffs on EU goods, the top economic policymaker for the eurozone's fourth-largest economy said he believed the EU still wanted to reinforce economic ties with the U.S. 'From the EU side, we are constructive but we are not naive,' Cuerpo said, adding that the bloc would pursue 'other routes protecting our firms and industries' if no agreement with the Trump administration can be reached. A 90-day pause on tariffs announced by the EU and the U.S. is slated to end on July 14. About halfway through that grace period, U.S. President Donald Trump announced 50% tariffs on steel imports. The U.S. has also enacted a 25% tariff on vehicles and 10% so-called reciprocal tariffs on most other goods. On how Spain's current housing woes got here, the minister said a steep drop in construction in Spain following the 2008 financial crisis played a role. So did population growth due to immigration , Cuerpo said, and pressures from an increase in the number of tourists. While building more housing is key, the minister advocated for an all-of-the-above approach, including regulating Spain's housing market and short-term rental platforms. 'For us, there's no silver bullet,' he said. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Washington Post
2 hours ago
- Washington Post
Spain's economy minister says 'overtourism' challenges need to be addressed
MADRID — Spain could receive as many as 100 million tourists this year, according to some projections, which the country's economy minister said poses challenges for the country's residents that the government can no longer afford to ignore. Last year, Spain received a record 94 million international visitors , making it one of the most visited countries in the world. 'It's important to understand that these record numbers in terms of tourism also pose challenges,' Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said in an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press. 'And we need to deal with those challenges also for our own population.' Tourism is a key sector for the Southern European nation's economy, which grew faster than any major advanced economy last year at 3.2%, and is projected to grow at 2.4% this year, according to the Bank of Spain, well ahead of the expected eurozone average of 0.9%. But a stubborn housing crisis in which home and rental costs have skyrocketed in cities such as Madrid, Barcelona and elsewhere has led to growing frustration about one aspect tied to tourism in particular: the proliferation of short-term rental apartments in city centers. The country has seen several large protests that have drawn tens of thousands of people to demand more government action on housing. Signs at demonstrations with slogans such as 'Get Airbnb out of our neighborhoods' point to the growing anger. In response, the government recently announced it was cracking down on Airbnb listings that it said were operating in the country illegally, a decision that the company is appealing. 'We are a 49 million-inhabitants country,' Cuerpo said. The record numbers of tourists illustrate the 'attractiveness of our country, but also of the challenge that we have in terms of dealing and providing for a good experience for tourists, but at the same time avoiding overcharging (for) our own services and our own housing,' he said. The Bank of Spain recently said the country has a deficit of 450,000 homes. Building more public housing is critical to solve the problem, Cuerpo said. Spain has a lower stock of public housing than many other major European Union countries. 'This is the key challenge for this term,' the minister said of the country's housing woes. On the possibility of more U.S. tariffs on EU goods, the top economic policymaker for the eurozone's fourth-largest economy said he believed the EU still wanted to reinforce economic ties with the U.S. 'From the EU side, we are constructive but we are not naive,' Cuerpo said, adding that the bloc would pursue 'other routes protecting our firms and industries' if no agreement with the Trump administration can be reached. A 90-day pause on tariffs announced by the EU and the U.S. is slated to end on July 14. About halfway through that grace period, U.S. President Donald Trump announced 50% tariffs on steel imports. The U.S. has also enacted a 25% tariff on vehicles and 10% so-called reciprocal tariffs on most other goods. On how Spain's current housing woes got here, the minister said a steep drop in construction in Spain following the 2008 financial crisis played a role. So did population growth due to immigration , Cuerpo said, and pressures from an increase in the number of tourists. While building more housing is key, the minister advocated for an all-of-the-above approach, including regulating Spain's housing market and short-term rental platforms. 'For us, there's no silver bullet,' he said.
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Despite falling cottage prices, this Muskoka small-business owner still can't buy in her hometown
Melissa Johnson has lived in Bracebridge her whole life, but her family's future in her hometown has never felt so out of reach. For the past several years Johnson has closely monitored the housing market and is currently working with a mortgage agent to get a mortgage pre-approval — but what should feel like an exciting new chapter is turning into a stressful experience. 'Before the pandemic, housing was attainable,' Johnson said. 'People with an individual income of $50,000 could buy a home themselves. Now you have to earn $100,000 to $150,000 just to purchase a home.' Johnson recently separated from her husband, who bought their riverfront home on half an acre of land. Johnson moved out and now rents a three-bedroom duplex for $3,000 a month. She's working with a realtor to find a new home to move into with her little kids, but as each day marches on it's not looking hopeful. Home prices in Muskoka skyrocketed during the pandemic, as once interest rates hit historic lows city dwellers and investors wanted a slice of the cottage industry gem. In 2020, the average non-waterfront property sales price was $409,000. In 2022, it shot up to $730,000, according to OnePoint Association of Realtors, which represents 3,000 real estate professionals across the regions of Huron, Perth, Grey, Bruce, Wellington, Georgian Bay, Simcoe, Parry Sound, Haliburton and Muskoka. A view of Manitoba Street in downtown Bracebridge. While prices have dropped since the pandemic peak — with some pandemic buyers seeing declines of as much as $365,000 when selling — on average, prices are still significantly higher than pre-pandemic, including in Muskoka where the average is now just under $700,000. That's hurting local residents who want to buy housing in their hometown. Johnson remembers in 2018 you could buy a townhouse for around $300,000. Now, it's more than $600,000. During the pandemic she saw dozens of buyers pile into the market either hoping to move to quieter pastures with ample green space or cash in on the cottage rental market. Johnson said homes were getting snatched up, with many on the market for just one day — unheard of before 2020. 'When I lived on the Muskoka River I counted 422 short-term rentals in the area based on what I could find on Airbnb alone,' she said. 'And then there are people in my community struggling to find a home.' Others cottage properties are sitting with no offers, as experts say the market is stagnant and While home prices in Muskoka, as with many other regions in Canada, increased significantly, Muskoka incomes have lagged far behind, said John O'Rourke, broker, Royal LePage Lakes of Muskoka. 'The average price for a home last year was around $730,000 but the average household income in the area is $108,000,' he said. 'To qualify you need an income of $145,000.' The work in Muskoka is seasonal, dominated by service-oriented jobs that don't pay as much as in urban centres. 'People who came and bought here (during the pandemic) had higher paying jobs, and had the benefit of that income,' he said. 'Locals in smaller communities just couldn't compete.' For locals looking to buy, if a home goes on the market in the low $600,000 range, there will be a lot of activity, he said. People's choices now are driven by price instead of the qualities and amenities of the home. Agents and brokers are expecting a 1.8 per cent increase in average price, according to a new 'Ten years ago you could get a really nice home for $200,000 and that doesn't exist anymore,' O'Rourke said. 'It's not a good situation.' Some locals are moving out of Huntsville and Bracebridge proper and commuting in for work, but it impacts the vibrancy of the local communities, he added. As a small-business owner of a micro flower farm and private early education services, Johnson has thought of moving but her business, children, family, and lifelong friends are in Bracebridge. She's often in conversation with many local residents, and says that everyone is struggling — her friends in real estate tell her many people are leaving because they can't afford to live in the town anymore. 'It's just devastating, they have to leave their families, they have to leave everything.' Johnson acknowledges that tourism helps support the local business, including her own. 'Part of my business is dependent on seasonal occupants and I love our tourism, there are pros and cons to everything,' she said. 'It's just the imbalance in our community and real estate market. Not enough housing and affordable housing is being built and we're paying the price.'
