Spanish Government Cracks Down on Illegal Vacation Rentals
In a major move to address the country's housing crisis, the Spanish government has ordered the removal of 53,876 vacation homes from online rental platforms. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the decision during a meeting of his Socialist Party (PSOE) in Málaga, stating these properties will now be permanently rented to Spanish youth and families.
Housing Crisis Worsens Annually
Spain has been grappling with an increasingly severe housing shortage that tenant associations and organizations attribute partly to the growing number of vacation apartments. According to estimates from the National Statistics Institute (INE), there are over 400,000 such properties, with numbers growing by 15% annually.
Registration Requirements and Compliance Issues
The affected properties failed to obtain mandatory registration numbers required since this summer. The new registration system, implemented on July 1st, applies to all tourist apartments and seasonal rentals. The government stated the state registry aims to "put an end to fraud and malpractice to facilitate access to decent housing for citizens."
"We discovered thousands of irregularities in many of these apartments," Prime Minister Sánchez revealed during the announcement.
Geographic Distribution of Removed Listings
The majority of delisted properties are concentrated in popular tourist regions: Andalusia (16,740), Canary Islands (8,698), Catalonia (7,729), and Valencia region (7,499). The Housing Ministry has notified digital rental platforms of the decision and requested removal of the advertisements.
Platform Response and Ongoing Enforcement
Airbnb, one of the largest rental platforms, has committed to proactive cooperation with "strict" regulatory compliance. The Spanish government has been increasingly targeting companies like Airbnb and Booking.com to regulate platform-based rentals.
Broader Housing Strategy
The move is part of the left-wing government's strategy to restore housing to its original purpose, combat illegal tourist rentals, and improve urban quality of life. In early April, tens of thousands protested across Spain against the housing crisis, demanding an end to real estate speculation, more social housing construction, and cessation of residential space conversion to vacation apartments.
Mass tourism protests have been increasing in the popular vacation destination, with city administrations like Barcelona announcing restrictions on tourist apartment rentals in June.