Spain has intensified its campaign against short-term holiday rentals by fining Airbnb €64 million for advertising unlicensed tourist homes.
The penalty, announced by the Consumer Rights Ministry on Monday, as reported by Reuters, places one of the world’s largest vacation rental platforms at the centre of Spain’s widening effort to rein in illegal listings.
Authorities argue that online rental platforms have played a role in deepening housing shortages across major cities and tourist regions by diverting homes away from long-term residents.
The latest move signals a tougher regulatory stance as Spain seeks to rebalance tourism activity with access to affordable housing.
Housing pressure grows
Spain’s leftist government has made housing affordability a central policy issue, with short-term tourist rentals increasingly viewed as a structural problem rather than a niche concern.
National authorities, alongside city councils and regional governments, have been tightening oversight of platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com.
Officials say the spread of unlicensed holiday lets has reduced housing supply for residents, particularly in urban centres and popular coastal destinations, notes Reuters.
The Consumer Rights Ministry said the fine against Airbnb forms part of broader efforts to address Spain’s housing crisis.
Regulators maintain that illegal listings not only breach consumer protection rules but also contribute to rising rents and displacement by prioritising short-term visitors over long-term tenants.
Size and scope of the fine
The €64 million sanction is equivalent to six times the profit the ministry said Airbnb generated from the illegal listings, according to Reuters.
Consumer Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy told reporters that this makes it the second-largest fine ever imposed by the ministry for breaching consumer rights.
The scale of the penalty reflects the government’s intention to deter similar practices across the digital rental market.
Airbnb had previously withdrawn 65,000 listings in July after authorities said they violated Spanish regulations. Despite that move, regulators concluded that enforcement measures were still required.
Wider regulatory backdrop
Spain’s action against Airbnb comes against the backdrop of recent clashes between national regulators and major travel firms. In 2024, Ryanair was fined €108 million for charging additional fees for cabin baggage.
Earlier this year, according to Reuters, the European Commission said fines imposed by Spain on Ryanair and other low-cost airlines breached EU regulations.
These disputes highlight ongoing tensions between national consumer protection measures and EU-level rules.
While Brussels has raised concerns about compliance with European regulations, Spanish authorities have defended their actions as necessary to protect consumers and respond to domestic challenges, including housing affordability.
Platform accountability
By targeting Airbnb directly, Spain is signalling that responsibility for compliance lies not only with individual property owners but also with the platforms that advertise short-term rentals.
Regulators argue that digital marketplaces must ensure listings meet local legal requirements before being promoted to consumers.
The case is likely to be closely watched across Europe, where governments face similar pressures from tourism-driven rental markets.
As legal challenges and appeals unfold, the outcome could influence how aggressively national authorities can regulate global rental platforms under existing consumer rights laws.
The post Spain fines Airbnb €64 million over unlicensed holiday rental listings appeared first on Invezz