If you’re planning a Spanish getaway this summer, you might want to double-check that Airbnb booking.
Spain’s consumer affairs ministry has just dropped the hammer on short-term rental giant Airbnb, ordering the platform to remove over 65,000 holiday listings from its site due to rule violations. The sweeping move targets 65,935 rentals that either lacked a valid license number or included misleading or mismatched information about their legal status.
This crackdown is the latest escalation in Spain’s ongoing battle with housing inflation, and it directly targets one of the biggest culprits, unregulated holiday rentals that have exploded across major tourist cities.
Why Did Spain Do This?
According to the ministry, many of the flagged listings failed to:
- Include a valid registration number
- Specify whether the property owner was an individual or a company
- List accurate or verifiable details on the license status
In some cases, fake or duplicate license numbers were being used to give the illusion of compliance.
A spokesperson for Airbnb has yet to respond publicly, but the company is facing mounting pressure as cities like Barcelona, Madrid, and Seville seek to wrest back control over their dwindling housing stock.
The Bigger Issue: Locals Are Being Priced Out
Spain is experiencing a housing affordability crisis, especially in urban centers and popular vacation hotspots. Locals have long complained that the surge in Airbnb-style holiday rentals in Spain has pushed up rents, drained the long-term housing supply, and gentrified neighborhoods beyond recognition resulting in violations.
In recent months:
- Tens of thousands of residents have taken to the streets in cities like Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca to demand action.
- Barcelona’s city council announced it would phase out all 10,000 of its short-term rental licenses by 2028.
- Other regions, like Andalusia and Catalonia, have tightened registration requirements for landlords.
Spain’s government says the blocked listings span several high-demand regions, including:
- Madrid
- Catalonia (home to Barcelona)
- Andalusia (home to Seville, Granada, and the Costa del Sol)
What This Means for Travelers
If you’re heading to Spain and planning to use Airbnb:
- Check your booking to make sure it’s still valid.
- Look for a visible license number, Spanish law now mandates it for all legal listings.
- Be cautious of sudden cancellations or booking disruptions as Airbnb complies with the order.
Many affected properties were removed almost immediately after the government directive was announced. Expect more enforcement waves in the coming months.
The Road Ahead: Is This the Start of a Global Trend?
Spain isn’t alone. Cities across Europe, from Amsterdam to Lisbon, are taking aggressive steps to regulate short-term rentals, aiming to prioritize residents over tourists. With a $1.8 trillion tourism economy at stake in the EU, balancing visitor demand with local quality of life is becoming increasingly political.
This move puts Airbnb under fresh global scrutiny, especially as housing protests ripple across tourist-saturated cities.
For now, Spain is sending a clear message: No license, no listing.
