Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote on X on September 14, “We will demand that platforms remove 53,000 tourist flats for failing to comply with regulations. So that they can become permanent rentals for young people and families in this country.”
Since July 1, 2025, the single rental registry requires all properties intended for short-term rental to be registered. As per a report by The Independent, properties not listed in the registry cannot be legally advertised online.
The Spanish Ministry of Housing has asked accommodation platforms, including Airbnb and Booking.com, to remove adverts for rule-breaking properties. An Airbnb spokesperson said: “The vast majority of non-compliant listings are not on Airbnb. So we are calling on other platforms to join Airbnb’s ongoing enforcement effort with local authorities.”
Airbnb added that 70,000 listings have now shown a registration number since January. The platform said, “Those listings (that show a registration number) are the ones that our customers love, leaving us with no significant business impact. We are setting the ground for a new and resilient business model in Spain.”
Among the removed tourist flats, 16,740 were in Andalusia, 8,698 in the Canary Islands, and 7,499 in the Valencian Community. Major cities affected include Seville (2,289), Marbella (1,802), Barcelona (1,564), and Malaga (1,471).
In June, a Spanish court upheld an order for Airbnb to block nearly 66,000 listings across the country after the Consumer Rights Ministry flagged violations. Last month, authorities ordered the removal of 65,935 properties, of which 5,800 were taken down immediately.
The government’s move aims to increase the supply of permanent rentals for residents, particularly for young people and families, while enforcing compliance with Spain’s rental regulations.