Spain’s Consumer Protection Ministry announced on May 19 that it has compelled Airbnb to remove over 65,000 vacation-rental properties from its platform, citing widespread non-compliance with national and regional regulations. The majority of listings lacked a mandatory licence number, while others failed to distinguish between private and professional hosts, the ministry said.
Airbnb responded that it intends to challenge the government’s order, arguing there is no evidence of guest misconduct and that the blanket delisting contravenes both Spanish and broader EU law. The platform has not indicated whether it will seek interim relief or how long the appeal process might take.
The crackdown forms part of a broader governmental push backed by many local councils to rein in rapid growth in short-term rentals, which critics say are exacerbating Spain’s housing affordability crisis. In several cities, rent burdens exceed 50% of average incomes, while major tourist destinations like Barcelona have moved to ban new holiday lets outright.
Last month, roughly 40 Spanish cities saw mass protests demanding “housing for living, not for survival,” with demonstrators blaming platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com for fueling speculators and pricing out residents. In Málaga alone, some 5,500 people marched under slogans like “Ban tourist accommodation” and “Wage €1,300, rent €1,100 how am I supposed to live?”
As Spain remains the world’s second-most-visited country with 85 million international tourists in 2024 authorities face mounting pressure to balance economic benefits from tourism against the needs of local communities. Real-estate data show rents in the Balearic Islands climbing 158% over the past decade, underscoring the urgency of regulatory reform.
