The Spanish government has launched a sweeping crackdown on illegal short-term rentals in an effort to combat the country’s worsening housing crisis. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has ordered the removal of 65,935 Airbnb listings that fail to comply with national regulations.
The decision comes amid growing public anger over the impact of unregulated vacation rentals on housing availability and affordability, particularly in tourism-heavy areas like Madrid, Barcelona, Andalusia, and Catalonia.
According to the Ministry, a significant number of listings on Airbnb were found to have serious violations, including the absence of license numbers, undisclosed host identities (individual or corporate), and discrepancies between published information and official records.
The first phase of the campaign, backed by a ruling from the Madrid High Court, targeted 5,800 listings, with two more enforcement phases expected to follow. Authorities say the action aims to restore fairness to the housing market by reducing pressure from the shadow rental economy.
The government had previously alerted Airbnb about the violations, but the company attempted to contest the claims in court. Despite this, the court sided with the government, allowing the removal order to proceed.
In response, Airbnb announced its intention to continue legal proceedings, arguing that the government’s actions contradict Spanish and European Union law, as well as a prior decision by Spain’s Supreme Court. The platform maintains that there is insufficient evidence of wrongdoing by hosts and that the real cause of the housing shortage lies in the lack of new housing construction—not short-term rentals.
Airbnb also warned that stricter regulations could hurt local families who rely on rental income to supplement their earnings.
As of November 2023, Spain had around 321,000 officially registered short-term rental properties, a 15% increase from 2020. However, a large number of listings reportedly continue to operate without proper licensing. In a related move, the Barcelona city government previously announced its plan to eliminate all 10,000 licensed short-term rentals by 2028 to convert them into long-term housing.
