Spain Tells Airbnb To Strip The Sheets On Its Way Out

If you got a great deal on a cute little apartment in Catalonia this summer, no you didn’t. Spain’s Consumer Rights Ministry ordered Airbnb to remove more than 65,000 listings in the country, its latest attempt to deal with overtourism and a growing housing crisis.

The ministry said the listings violated short-term rental rules, like not including license numbers, using fake license numbers, or not specifying if the property was owned by an individual or a company. Spain had ordered Airbnb to scrap the listings in recent months, but Airbnb appealed the decision. Madrid’s high court sided with the government this week:

• Airbnb said in a statement that it would continue to appeal the order, arguing that housing supply is to blame for a lack of affordable units for residents—not an increase in lodging options for tourists.
• The list of rentals includes properties in popular tourist destinations like Madrid, Andalusia, Catalonia, Valencia, the Basque Country, and the Balearic Islands.

Big picture: Spain and many other European countries are scrambling to address rising rents and housing shortages in popular cities, as well as quell anti-tourist protests that have sprung up around the region. About 321,000 homes in Spain had holiday rental licenses as of November 2024, up by 15% from four years prior.—MM