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The Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Spain warns against housing ‘free for all' over Airbnb threat
The Spanish government has ordered Airbnb to remove almost 66,000 holiday rentals from its platform for violating local regulations, including failing to list license numbers or specifying the apartment's owner. Consumer Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy said that Spain 's economy and housing market are not a 'free for all' and that there is a correlation between the rise of short-term rentals like Airbnb and increasing housing costs. A recent Bank of Spain report indicated a shortfall of 450,000 homes in the country. Barcelona announced plans last year to close all 10,000 apartments licensed as short-term rentals by 2028 to protect housing for full-time residents. Airbnb is appealing the decision to remove the 66,000 homes, asserting it connects property owners with renters but doesn't have oversight obligations.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Spanish government's tourism warning after Airbnb ordered to remove thousands of rentals
The Spanish government has recently taken a firm stance against Airbnb, signalling that the country's economy and housing market are not a "free for all" where profit trumps regulation, a minister has said. Last month, authorities ordered Airbnb to remove almost 66,000 holiday rentals from its platform, citing violations of local regulations. These violations included failing to list license numbers, listing incorrect numbers, or not specifying the apartment's owner. Airbnb is currently appealing the decision. Spain, a popular global tourist destination, hosted a record 94 million international visitors last year. However, cities like Madrid and Barcelona are grappling with housing affordability issues, leading to increased resentment towards short-term holiday rentals, with Airbnb being a primary target of criticism. The Spanish government says the two are related: the rise of Airbnb and other short-term rental companies, and rising rents and housing costs. 'Obviously there is a correlation between these two facts,' Consumer Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy told the AP. 'It's not a linear relation, it's not the only factor affecting it, there are many others, but it is obviously one of the elements that is contributing.' A recent Bank of Spain report said the country has a shortfall of 450,000 homes. In the tourist hot spots of the Canary and Balearic Islands, half the housing stock is tourist accommodations or properties owned by nonresidents, the report said. ' Tourism is for sure a vital part of the Spanish economy. It's a strategic and very important sector. But as in every other economic activity, it must be conducted in a sustainable way," Bustinduy said. 'It cannot jeopardize the constitutional rights of the Spanish people. Their right to housing, but also their right to well-being.' The country has seen several large protests that have drawn tens of thousands of people to demand more government action on housing. Homemade signs including one that read 'Get Airbnb out of our neighborhoods' at a recent march in Madrid point to the growing anger. 'A balance must be found between the constitutional rights of the Spanish people and economic activities in general," Bustinduy said. Regional governments in Spain are also tackling the issue. Last year, Barcelona announced a plan to close down all of the 10,000 apartments licensed in the city as short-term rentals by 2028 to safeguard the housing supply for full-time residents. Airbnb said that while its appeal goes through the courts, no holiday rentals would be immediately taken down from the site. In response to Spain's order, Airbnb has said the platform connects property owners with renters but it doesn't have oversight obligations, even though it requires hosts to show that they are compliant with local laws. Bustinduy said Spain's recent action reflects a desire in Spain, but also elsewhere, to hold tech companies like Airbnb to account. 'There is a battle going on about accountability and about responsibility,' Bustinduy said. 'The digital nature of these extraordinarily powerful multinational corporations must not be an excuse to fail to comply with democratically established regulations.' Bustinduy, who belongs to the governing coalition's left-wing Sumar party, dismissed the idea that the Spanish government's action toward Airbnb could discourage some tourists from visiting. 'It will encourage longer stays, it will encourage responsible tourism and it will preserve everything that we have in this wonderful country which is the reason why so many people want to come here," he said. The minister also took a shot at low-cost airlines. Spain has pushed against allowing such airlines to charge passengers for hand baggage. Last year, it fined five budget airlines, including RyanAir and easyJet, a total of $179 million for charging for hand luggage. 'The principle behind these actions is always the same: preserving consumer rights,' Bustinduy said. 'Powerful corporations, no matter how large, have to adapt their business models to existing regulations.'
Times
20-05-2025
- Times
Spain orders 65,000 Airbnbs to close in fightback against mass tourism
The Spanish government has ordered Airbnb to block more than 65,000 holiday listings on its platform for rule violations, the consumer rights ministry said. The Spanish authorities' attempts to prevent another summer of discontent over surging tourism have led to curbs on rental flats across the country. The regional government of the Balearic Islands is also attempting to stop a 'massive influx of tourists' drawn by images posted online by influencers, La Vanguardia newspaper reported. In recent months tens of thousands of Spaniards have taken to the streets protesting against rising housing and rental costs, which many say have been driven up by holiday rentals on platforms such as Airbnb that have proliferated in popular tourist destinations. 'Enough with protecting those who make a
Skift
19-05-2025
- Business
- Skift
Spain Orders Airbnb to Block More Than 65,000 Holiday Rentals
The Spanish's government order is the latest move to crack down on short-term rentals in response to the shortage of affordable housing. Spanish authorities ordered Airbnb to remove more than 65,000 listings for holiday rentals, which the government said violated existing rules, Reuters reported. Spain's Consumer Rights Ministry said in a statement on Monday that most of the Airbnb listings to be blocked do not include their license number while others did not state whether the owner was an individual or a corporation. The ministry opened a probe into Airbnb last December. The order comes amid a crackdown in Spain on the short-term rental industry, which some have blamed in part for Spain's shortage of affordable housing. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced in January that the government would raise taxes on holiday rentals while Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni said last June the city would ban all short-term rentals by 2029. Roughly 321,000 homes in Spain had holiday rental licenses as of last November, according to official data. That's up 15% from 2020. "No more excuses. Enough with protecting those who make a business out of the right to housing in our country," said Consumer Minister Pablo Bustinduy, according to Reuters, adding his goal was to end the general "lack of control" and "illegality" in the holiday rental business. Bustinduy said that Madrid's high court backed the order, which would involve the immediate removal of 5,800 rental listings. He said two subsequent orders would be issued until the roughly 66,000 removals are reached. Airbnb said it would appeal the Spanish government's order. '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," an Airbnb spokesperson told Skift. "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."
CTV News
19-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Spain orders Airbnb to block 65,000 holiday rentals over rule violations
Demonstrators march shouting slogans against the Formula 1 Barcelona Fan Festival in downtown Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, June 19, 2024, during residents protest against mass tourism. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) MADRID — Spain's government said on Monday that it had ordered Airbnb to block more than 65,000 holiday listings on its platform for having violated rules. The consumer rights ministry said that many of the 65,935 Airbnb listings it had ordered to be withdrawn did not include their license number or specify whether the owner was an individual or a company. Others listed numbers that didn't match what authorities had. Spain is grappling with a housing affordability crisis that has spurred government action against short-term rental companies. In recent months, tens of thousands of Spaniards have taken to the streets protesting rising housing and rental costs, which many say have been driven up by holiday rentals on platforms like Airbnb that have proliferated in cities like Madrid and Barcelona and many other popular tourist destinations. Last year, Barcelona announced a plan to close down all of the 10,000 apartments licensed in the city as short-term rentals by 2028 to safeguard the housing supply for full-time residents. A spokesperson for Airbnb could not be immediately reached for comment. Spain's government said the first round of rentals affected by the order are located across the country, including in the capital of Madrid, in Andalusia and also in Catalonia, whose capital is Barcelona. The Associated Press
