Airbnb Complies With The Spanish Order To Remove 65,000 Listings

The short-term rental platform, Airbnb, has complied pinch a May 2025 Spanish authorities directive to region 65,000 vacation properties from its listings; however, nan country’s user authorities ministry said it has identified 55,000 that it considers illegal.

The Spanish authorities has launched a crackdown connected short-term tourism rentals listed connected websites specified arsenic Airbnb.com and booking.com. Many citizens successful Spain kick that nan listings connected some sites are creating excess tourism and driving up lodging prices, according to Reuters.

On Monday, July 28th, Spain’s Consumer Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy said nan move aimed to reside nan wide “lack of control” and “illegality” successful nan vacation rental business, a Euro News Thursday article highlighted.

Airbnb appealed but mislaid nan battle

“No much excuses. Enough pinch protecting those who make a business retired of nan correct to lodging successful our country,” he told reporters.

The ministry said it had notified Airbnb astir nan noncompliant listings months ago, but that nan institution had appealed nan move successful court. Spain’s authorities said Madrid’s precocious tribunal had backed nan bid sent to Airbnb.

Bustinduy said it progressive nan contiguous removal of 5,800 rental listings from nan site. Two consequent orders would beryllium issued until nan full of 65,935 removals is reached, he said.

The removal of nan vacation spot listing follows Airbnb’s repeated attempts to reverse nan determination successful nan courts, wherever it based on nan ministry lacked nan authority to make rulings and had grounded to supply an evidence-based database of non-compliant accommodation.

Lack of registration numbers

Most of nan listings Airbnb removed grounded to see their tourer accommodation registration number, nan ministry said successful May, while others did not specify whether nan proprietor was an individual aliases a corporation, arsenic required by Spanish law.

In April, thousands of demonstrators rallied successful complete 40 cities, carrying placards specified arsenic “Get Airbnb retired of our neighbourhoods” and chanting for lodging rights. In Madrid, national estimates put information astatine astir 150,000 people, Belga New Agency reported.

Spanish protesters often linked nan description of Airbnb-style rentals to sharper lodging affordability issues. The protests came amid concerns that tourer flats thrust up rent and trim semipermanent lodging supply.

The crackdown successful Spain forms portion of a broader European inclination successful which governments are seeking to bring short-term rental platforms nether tighter regulation.