Spain Fines Airbnb €64 Million for Unlicensed Rental Listings
Spain's Consumer Affairs Ministry has fined Airbnb €64 million (£56 million) for advertising unlicensed rental properties and listings whose licence numbers did not match official registers. The fine requires Airbnb to remove adverts promoting unlicensed properties, and the ministry stated that the penalty cannot be appealed. However, Airbnb intends to challenge the fine in court.
This action follows changes made in July to Spain's short-term rental regulations. Authorities identified that 65,122 Airbnb adverts breached consumer rules. Minister Pablo Bustinduy emphasized concerns about housing related to tourism and stressed that the laws apply to all, including large platforms like Airbnb.
Airbnb responded by expressing confidence that the ministry's actions contradict Spanish regulations and stated that it has been cooperating with the Ministry of Housing to enforce the new national registration system. This crackdown is part of a broader global trend of Airbnb restrictions in major cities such as Barcelona, New York, Berlin, Paris, and San Francisco.
