Overview

• Spain’s Consumer Rights Ministry has directed Airbnb to delist 65,935 holiday rental properties that failed to meet licensing and ownership transparency requirements.
• The crackdown is part of a broader effort to combat the housing affordability crisis, with short-term rentals blamed for rising rents and limited housing stock.
• Affected listings are spread across key regions, including Madrid, Andalusia, and Catalonia, where tourism demand has heavily impacted local housing markets.
• Consumer Minister Pablo Bustinduy emphasized the need to end the “lack of control” in the holiday rental sector and protect citizens' access to housing.
• This enforcement follows growing public protests over overtourism and housing costs, alongside Barcelona’s long-term plan to phase out 10,000 short-term rental licenses by 2028.