The Spanish Ministry of Consumer Protection has issued an order requiring the Airbnb service to remove over 65,000 rental listings that do not comply with current regulations. This information was confirmed by the Reuters agency.
The agency noted that most of these listings did not include license numbers, and some did not even specify whether the property owner was an individual or a company.
“Our goal is to put an end to the lack of control and illegality in the tourist rental sector,” emphasized Consumer Affairs Minister Pablo Bustinduy.
He also added that the state must “ensure access to housing and protect consumer rights.”
Recently, the Spanish government, along with regional and city councils, has tightened control over short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com. Many Spaniards believe these services make housing inaccessible to local residents.
Barcelona has been particularly active in this regard, where Mayor Jaume Collboni announced a complete ban on short-term tourist rentals back in 2023, which will take effect in 2028.
At this time, Airbnb has not provided an official response to the decision of the Spanish authorities.
