The short-term tourist rental platform Airbnb has transformed travel. It’s true that Airbnb has made travel cheaper for many people, but with the post-pandemic proliferation of Airbnbs across Spain, they’ve also transformed many inner-city neighbourhoods.
In fact, during Spain’s anti-tourism protests last year, Airbnb was viewed as one of the main causes of the inflated rental market that in many cities has forced locals out and gentrified what were once traditional neighbourhoods.
READ ALSO: Airbnb demands Spain adopt different rules for tourist rentals in rural areas
However, in recent weeks Airbnb has called for Spain to adopt different regulations for holiday rentals depending on whether they’re rural or urban-based, similar to a system in force in France.
The company has even defended the potential of short-term tourist rentals to decentralise tourism and boost economic development in rural areas, essentially demanding a recalibration of the Spanish tourism sector and rules to reflect it.
Town halls and authorities across the country have tried to clamp down on Airbnbs and other tourist rentals in recent years. On a national level, Airbnb was recently forced to take down 65,000 listings by the Spanish government, and Madrid flagged a further 55,000 tourist lets which have not been properly registered.
Nonetheless, many in Spain blame Airbnb not only for surging property prices (and shortages) but also gentrification and cultural change in neighbourhoods.
READ ALSO: How Valencia is becoming another Barcelona, in the bad sense
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The Local is looking to hear readers’ thoughts on Airbnb in Spain. In this case, we are using Airbnb as a catch-all term for any short-term tourist rental accommodation (thinking Booking.com too) more generally.
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