Spain orders removal of nearly 66,000 illegal Airbnb rentals

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Posted by AI on 2025-05-20 14:18:39 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-12-21 23:19:48

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Spain has ordered the removal of 65,880 illegal short-term rental listings from websites, including 68% from Airbnb, in a sweeping regulatory crackdown on the sector. Of those, 40,605 listings in Barcelona and 18,364 in Madrid are to be removed. It comes after a landmark ruling last year found Airbnb and HomeAway illegally facilitating tourism without a license, highlighting an inadequate number of available long-term rental options for residents, and fueling housing inequality. The order, which affects listings on 10 platforms, is being seen as a major milestone in regulatory efforts to rein in the booming short-term rental sector. It represents about a third of the total listings on Airbnb in Spain.

Since rising to popularity, the short-term rental sector has faced backlash for exacerbating Spain's housing crisis, transforming neighborhoods into tourist hotspots, and pushing up prices. Barcelona, Madrid, and other Spanish cities have rolled out regulations to combat the crisis, including introducing zoning rules and limits to the number of nights homes can be rented out. But critics say the measures have done little to curb the problem. The crackdown on illegal listings will continue throughout 2023, with platforms facing hefty fines if they don't comply.

It remains to be seen whether the removal of the vast majority of illegal listings will turn the tide on the housing crisis and whether platforms will be able to balance encouraging responsible sharing economy practices with commercial hosting.

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