Spain has ordered the removal of over 65,000 listings from Airbnb for failing to comply with national rental regulations, according to the Consumer Rights Ministry on Monday.
The ministry revealed that a significant number of the 65,935 flagged listings lacked the necessary license number or failed to disclose whether the property owner was an individual or a business.
Some listings also featured license numbers that did not align with official records.
This crackdown comes amid Spain’s growing housing affordability crisis. The surge in short-term vacation rentals, particularly in cities like Madrid and Barcelona, has sparked widespread concern.
Many Spaniards blame platforms like Airbnb for pushing up rental prices and reducing the availability of long-term housing, prompting mass demonstrations in recent months.
“Enough already with protecting those who make a business out of the right to housing,” said Consumer Minister Pablo Bustinduy during a press briefing.
Airbnb has responded by saying it plans to challenge the government’s decision. A company spokesperson argued that the Consumer Ministry lacks the authority to regulate short-term rentals and criticized the use of “an indiscriminate methodology” that targeted even listings exempt from licensing requirements.
This is not the first time Spanish authorities have acted against short-term rentals.
In 2023, the city of Barcelona announced a sweeping plan to eliminate all 10,000 licensed short-term rental apartments by 2028 in an effort to preserve housing for permanent residents.
According to the ministry, Airbnb had been warned about the listings months earlier, but challenged the directive in court.
However, Spain’s government reported that the Madrid high court upheld the ministry’s action.
As part of the enforcement, Airbnb has been instructed to immediately take down 5,800 listings, with further directives to follow until the total reaches nearly 66,000, Bustinduy said.
The properties affected span multiple regions, including the capital city Madrid, as well as Andalusia and Catalonia, home to Barcelona.