Spain Fines Airbnb €64 Million Over Illegal Property Listings

Madrid : Spain’s left-wing government has imposed a fine of more than 64 million euros on Airbnb for publishing advertisements for banned and unlicensed rental properties, the consumer affairs ministry said Monday, as the country grapples with a deepening housing crisis.

The ministry said the penalty is final and ordered the U.S.-based short-term rental giant to correct the violations by removing illegal content from its platform. According to officials, 65,122 Airbnb listings breached consumer protection rules, including properties without valid licences or with licence numbers that did not match official registers.

Authorities said the fine amounts to six times the illegal profit Airbnb made between the time it was warned about the offending listings and when they were taken down.

Spain’s booming tourism sector has helped drive economic growth but has also intensified concerns over housing shortages and soaring rents, particularly in major cities and tourist hotspots. The country welcomed a record 94 million foreign visitors in 2024 and is expected to exceed that figure this year.

Residents in cities such as Barcelona have increasingly blamed short-term rentals for shrinking housing supply and altering neighbourhoods. In June, the consumer affairs ministry also ordered Booking.com to remove more than 4,000 illegal accommodation listings.

Consumer Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy said the government would continue to act against companies contributing to the crisis. “There are thousands of families living on the edge because of housing, while a few get rich with business models that expel people from their homes,” he said.

“No company, no matter how big or powerful, is above the law — especially when it comes to housing,” Bustinduy added.