Spain’s battle with overtourism has been at the forefront of travel news in Europe for a while now, and measures to curb tourism across the country vary from bans on alcohol consumption and fines for inappropriate dress to caps on visitor numbers to certain attractions and steeper tourist taxes.
However, restricting the proliferation of holiday rentals is another major tactic which has been implemented, and a huge development in this effort has just been announced – the blockage of more than 65,000 short-term rentals.
Got an apartment booked for a trip to the Costa del Sol, or planning on renting somewhere in central Barcelona for that summer city break? This is obviously worrying news. So, here is all the information we have so far on Spain’s latest crackdown, and what it might mean for your trip.
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Why have 65,000 holiday rental listings being forced to withdraw?
Long story short, this blockage applies to rentals that breach regulations. The Spanish consumer rights ministry has cited unclear ownership records, missing license numbers and discrepancies between listed and official records as motivation for this mass de-list.
Sound familiar? Well, in 2024 we reported on Barcelona and Madrid’s respective attempts to introduce drastic restrictions on short term rentals, with the former hoping to ban all accommodation of this type by 2028.
According to the Independent, consumer minister Pablo Bustinduy said this crackdown aimed to end the ‘illegality’ and ‘lack of control’ in the rental sector, and that there had been ‘enough with protecting those who make a business out of the right to housing in our country.’
What has caused Spain’s housing crisis?
While the proliferation of holiday rentals has amplified the country’s housing crisis, the problem began over 15 years ago when the country’s construction bubble burst. Since then, supply has not kept up with demand, leading to an increase in purchasing and renting prices.
What has been the response to the crackdown?
Airbnb has announced it will appeal Spain’s decision – as Reuters reports, the platform believes the ministry does not have the authority to make rulings over short-term rentals and has also failed to provide enough proof of non-compliant rentals. It has also emphasised that it is a digital company, and not a real estate company, and that the court had disregarded that differentiation.
This blockage could have quite the impact on what it’s like to stay in Spain, so we’ll keep you up to date with all the latest information. Why not check out our favourite hotels in Spain?
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