Spain Fines Airbnb & Slashes 65,000+ Short-term Rental Listings
In a sweeping move to address its growing housing crisis, the Spanish government ordered Airbnb to take down nearly 66,000 property listings, which allegedly violate tourism and housing regulations.
Authorities in Barcelona plan to phase out all short-term rental apartments in the city by 2028.
In short: YES, you can still rent an Airbnb or VRBO in Spain, but it’s becoming more difficult and restrictive.
Spain is one of my favorite countries to visit, and I’ve never experienced any “anti-American” or “anti-tourist” backlash at all. Still, there are protests in Barcelona and some coastal areas. Some people who live there say overtourism is harming their quality of life, and making it impossible to afford their own housing.
Key Info on Rentals Removed:
- Spanish officials say the listings lack proper licenses, provide inaccurate registrations, or fail to specify whether the property is owned by a person or a business.
- Spain claims Airbnb ignored warnings for months.
- A Madrid court sided with the Spanish government.
- Airbnb is appealing.
Yes … Spain Still Allows Short-term Rentals
In fact, you can check them out using this interactive map. It shows VRBO options, in addition to hotels. While it’s centered on Barcelona, you can move it around to any part of Spain:
What’s Behind Spain’s Airbnb Crackdown
Spain is dealing with a severe housing affordability crisis, particularly in popular tourist destinations like Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands.
Tourism is booming post-pandemic, with a record 94 million visitors to Spain in 2024. It was a 13% increase from 2023!
Many locals argue that platforms like Airbnb are pushing them out of their own neighborhoods and driving up rents by converting long-term housing into holiday rentals.
The Spanish court’s order against Airbnb is part of a larger government initiative to restore housing access and curb illegal tourist accommodations. As much as the Spanish economy depends on tourism, the overwhelming sense from the Spanish people and their government is: they can’t handle the numbers, which are having too big of an impact on their lives.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez recently declared, bluntly, “There are too many Airbnbs and not enough homes.”
Airbnb Crackdown in Barcelona
Barcelona has already announced plans to eliminate all 10,100 of its short-term tourist rental licenses by late 2028, requiring property owners to convert them into long-term housing or sell.
The city has cracked down on illegal listings, hired inspectors, and imposed heavy fines on non-compliant hosts.
Short-term rentals to tourists will essentially be nonexistent in Barcelona by 2029. This decision aims to address a 68% rise in rental prices over the past decade and improve housing affordability for residents.
The Impact on Rentals in Madrid
Madrid is part of the 5,800 listings ordered for immediate removal by Airbnb.
The city has introduced the ‘Plan Reside,’ which bans short-term tourist apartments within residential buildings in the city center, aiming to curb depopulation and improve housing availability.
A new legal framework is in development to establish a registration system, limit short-term rentals in saturated areas, and require community approval for rentals in apartment buildings.
The Impact in Andalusia (Seville, Granada, Málaga)
In general, short-term rentals are more permissive in this beautiful part of Spain’s southern coast, though the region is included in the national government’s crackdown on 65,000+ Airbnb listings.
Málaga, a growing digital nomad hub, has proposed zoning rules and caps on STRs in certain central neighborhoods.
The Impact in Basque Country (Bilbao, San Sebastián)
This is one of my favorite parts of Spain, and short-term rentals here are still allowed, as long as they’re licensed and registered. Bilbao, by the way, has a great airport, and the entire region is perfect for a summer road trip! I’d spend a couple days near the beautiful national park region near Cangas de Onis in addition to the coastline.
The most popular tourist cities on the northern coast, like San Sebastián, have imposed zoning rules to protect residential neighborhoods from becoming tourist-only zones.
The Impact on the Balearic Islands (Mallorca & Ibiza)
I think if I could live anywhere in the world, Mallorca would be near the top of my list.
Short-term rentals are heavily restricted, especially in Ibiza and Palma de Mallorca. Still, Ibiza has entered into compliance agreements with Airbnb, aiming to weed out illegal listings and align the platform with regional rules.
Many parts of the islands have implemented short-term rental moratoriums, with temporary bans on new licenses.
Airbnb Pushes Back Against Spain’s Crackdown
Airbnb has sharply criticized the government’s move to remove 65,000+ listings in Spain, calling the enforcement “indiscriminate” and legally questionable.
The company argues that Spanish law puts the responsibility for correct listing information on the hosts, not the platform itself. Their attorneys say a 2022 Supreme Court ruling backs that argument.
Airbnb says it plans to continue appealing the decision and will keep the disputed listings live until those appeals play out in court.
The company’s researchers claim the crackdown on Spain puts 400,000 jobs at risk, along with $35 billion in income.
Spain: Airbnb Isn’t Complying
Around nine months after the ruling, Spain’s government hit Airbnb with a €64 million ($75 million) fine for advertising tourist rentals that lacked proper licensing.
According to the consumer rights ministry, many listings failed to display required license numbers, showed numbers that didn’t match official records, or contained incorrect information about hosts.
Airbnb said it will challenge the fine in court. The company added that it is working with Spanish authorities to comply with a new national registration system for short-term rentals, noting that more than 70,000 listings have added registration numbers since January of 2025.
A European Trend with Short-term Rentals
Spain isn’t alone.
Across Europe, cities like Amsterdam, Edinburgh, and Berlin are implementing new restrictions on short-term rentals to combat rising housing costs.
In Spain’s case, the government is now pursuing a broader solution, which includes proposing a 100% tax on foreign real estate investors to discourage speculative purchases.
In my case, I routinely book Airbnb or VRBO rentals when I travel with my mom and other family members. Financially, it just makes sense to rent an apartment with multiple bedrooms, plus a kitchen and common area for the group.
Wrap: Can You Still Rent an Airbnb in Spain?
Yes, Airbnb and VRBO are still operating in Spain. Despite the move in May of 2025 to remove 65,000+ Airbnb listings from across the country, that still leaves around 300,000 properties listed for short-term rentals (according to figures published by the National Statistics Institute).
As Spain continues to grapple with the challenges of overtourism and housing affordability, the government’s crackdown on short-term rentals represents a significant shift toward prioritizing the needs of residents and preserving the quality of life in its cities.
