The Spanish government on Monday ordered homestay app Airbnb to remove nearly 66,000 holiday listings from its platform for breaching regulations amid a nationwide crackdown on tourist rentals.
Airbnb said it would continue to appeal all decisions linked to the case and would keep listings up on the platform until the appeal made its way through the courts.
Spain has long been grappling with a housing affordability crisis that has spurred government action against short-term rental companies.
Campaigners say the housing crisis has been felt worst in major cities like Madrid and Barcelona, and other popular tourist destinations, pinning the blame on tourist rentals.
Demonstrators protest against mass tourism i downtown Barcelona (Photo: Emilio Morenatti/AP)
Bustinduy said his goal was to end the general “lack of control” and “illegality” in the holiday rental business.
Housing has become a politically sensitive issue in Spain as construction has failed to keep pace with demand. Official figures from November last year showed there were around 321,000 homes with holiday rental licences in Spain, up by 15 per cent in 2020.
‘Fewer cheap holidays’
He explained that Britons have “relied heavily” on such rentals in recent years, over traditional hotels or other holiday accommodation.
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He also warned that tourists who unknowingly pay for “illegitimate” holiday rentals may find that their accommodation is “shut down prior to or during their stay”.
Mr Petzold continued: “For Brits who have been used to engaging in impromptu city breaks or family trips on a tight budget, more planning will be essential.”
Jiayi Wang, a travel expert who works with tourism boards across the world, including Visit Costa Rica and Visit England, said Spain’s move to “tighten regulations” would result in “a clear shift away from the ‘Airbnb-first’ mindset”.
“Some are already running into last-minute cancellations or scrambling to find alternative accommodation because the listing they booked got pulled from the platform.”
Demonstrators protest against mass tourism in Barcelona, Spain (Photo: Bruna Casas/Reuters)“There’s also a broader trend that’s emerging across southern Europe,” Ms Wang said.
Airbnb properties still available to rent
An Airbnb spokesperson said it would “continue to appeal against all decisions linked to this case” and would not remove any listings at this time, despite the government demand.
“No evidence of rule-breaking by hosts has been put forward and the decision goes against EU and Spanish law, and a previous ruling by the Spanish Supreme Court,” they added.
“Governments across the world are seeing that regulating Airbnb does not alleviate housing concerns or return homes to the market – it only hurts local families who rely on hosting to afford their homes and rising costs.”
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