In an official statement issued on Monday, May 19, Ministry of Spanish Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and Agenda 2030 Order Airbnb to remove nearly 66,000 listings from its website.
Rental real estate is considered illegal for a variety of reasons, although the main cause behind this decision is the widespread housing crisis in the country. Airbnb declared it to continue to appeal all decisions associated with the case.
This article discusses everything you need to know about current events, including details on the Spanish housing crisis and what tourists can do to avoid contributing to it.
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Airbnb’s Spanish order will drop nearly 66,000 listings
Many people in Central Barcelona City on La Rambla Street.
On Monday, the Spanish government ordered Airbnb to drop 65,935 listings in several cities, including Madrid, Andalusia, and Barcelona. In this regard, Pablo Bustinduy’s Minister of Consumer Rights declared:
No more reason. Enough by protecting those who make business from the right to housing in our country.
The listing is considered illegal due to some violations, including:
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A shortage of licenses
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False license number
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Inability to declare whether the corporation or the individual manages the property.
The Madrid High Court is now supporting the demand to issue 5,800 listings, which will be the first to be dropped from the platform.
Airbnb responded by stating that the ministry had no authority to request the removal of the listing and declaring the government unable to provide the right list of accommodation that did not comply with the law.
Airbnb also declared that strict restrictions on its listing will not reduce the housing market in the country, but prefer to hurt:
Local families that rely on hosting and drive the price of a day -to -day tourist. (…) The solution is to build more homes – anything else is a disorder.
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Spain experienced a severe housing crisis, and people can no longer rent
Beautiful Road in Valencia, Spain
Spain is now facing one of the worst housing crisis in Europe. This is why locals have planned some protests against the conversion of apartments into tourist accommodation, which slowly makes it impossible for locals to buy homes in their own country.
Housing problems are widespread throughout the country, and are very problematic in the city -popular and tourist destinations, such as Tenerife. Not by chance, Local residents in the new Canary Islands -recently planned a big demonstration as the local government considered tourist taxes.
However, the number of houses with a holiday rent license in Spain increased by 35% from 2020 to 2024.
This was very critical last year, Mayor Barcelona Jaume Collboni ordered the ban on the amount of tourism rent by 2028, which required the owners to rent their property for a long time or sell it.
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What can visitors in Spain do to avoid being a part of a problem?
Signs written in protests overtourism in Barcelona, Spain.
If you head to Spain soon, there are some things you can do to avoid being a part of the problem. First, consider visiting less than large metropolis sites such as Barcelona, Madrid, and Canary Islands. The country is full of small towns with basically no tourists worth visiting.
If you head to one of the main tourism sites, consider your stay carefully. For example, choose a small hotel or B&B owned by locals and are not built to place those living in the country.
If you still prefer Airbnb, try renting a room in someone’s home instead of choosing an apartment or studio owned by a large company. This will help you support the locals while soaking in the most authentic Spanish culture.