Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Protection announced on Monday, the 19th of May, that it has ordered Airbnb to remove more than 65 000 rantal listings from its platform, saying they violate the rules in force, according to Reuters.
The announcement comes at a time when the European holiday season is almost in full swing and Spain is one of the main destinations.
The Spanish government, together with city and regional leaders, has launched a proactive effort to control the rental of accommodation offered to tourists, such as on Airbnb and Booking.com. Many Spaniards argue that these rentals generate an excessive tourist flow, reduce the number of homes and increase rental prices for local residents.
Most of the Airbnb rentals to be blocked did not have a licence number, while others did not indicate whether the owner was a natural or legal person, the ministry said in a statement.
An Airbnb spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Consumer Protection Minister Pablo Bustinduy has said his aim is to end a general “lack of control” and “illegality” in the holiday home rental business and to “promote affordable housing and protect consumer rights”.
In a written statement, the Ministry said that the Madrid High Court had already ruled on the first complaint and called on the housing platform to “immediately withdraw the approximately 5 800 advertisements”. These concern apartments in Madrid, Catalonia, Andalusia, Valencia, the Balearic Islands and the Basque Country.
Barcelona Mayor Jaume Colboni last June took the strongest step yet in Spain when he ordered a complete ban on tourist rentals by 2028.
Spain calls to block more than 65 000 Airbnb rentals
