MADRID, SPAIN – Spain’s government has imposed a 64 million euro ($75 million) fine on Airbnb for advertising short-term rentals without proper licenses, officials confirmed Monday.
Authorities said many listings lacked required license numbers or displayed incorrect ones, while some contained inaccurate host information. The move reflects Spain’s broader effort to regulate short-term rental platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com amid a growing housing affordability crisis, particularly in city centers.
Airbnb said it plans to contest the fine in court and is cooperating with Spanish authorities to comply with a new national registration system for short-term rentals. The company noted that more than 70,000 listings on its platform had added registration numbers since January.
Spain’s government and citizens alike have criticized short-term rental companies for contributing to rising housing costs. The nation, one of the world’s top tourist destinations, has seen holiday rentals strain already limited city housing.
Consumer rights minister Pablo Bustinduy said, “There are thousands of families living on the edge because of the housing crisis, while a few enrich themselves with business models that evict people from their homes.”
Earlier this year, the consumer rights ministry ordered Airbnb to remove roughly 65,000 listings for violations. In 2024, Spain’s antitrust authority fined Booking.com 413 million euros ($448 million) for abusing its dominant market position over five years.
Barcelona authorities have announced plans to phase out all 10,000 licensed short-term rental apartments by 2028 to preserve housing for residents.