The Spanish government opened an investigation on Wednesday into holiday rental platform Airbnb for allegedly failing to take down adverts for thousands of apartments that do not possess an official tourist licence.
Mass tourism is a hot topic in Spain, the world’s second most-visited country, as foreign visitors fill the coffers of businesses but fuel local anger about unaffordable housing. ALSO READ: Lack of affordable housing and threat of mass tenants’ strike puts pressure on Spanish government.
Spain’s consumer rights authority is investigating a ‘tourist apartment rental platform’ after previous warnings about the adverts went unheeded for several months, the government said in a statement without naming Airbnb.
The social rights and consumer ministry said the failure to comply was punishable by fines of up to €100,000 or ‘four to six times the illicit profit made’.
Airbnb said it would appeal against the investigation and ‘always asks hosts to confirm they have the necessary permits and comply with local regulations before advertising themselves on the platform’.
Tourist magnet Barcelona and the popular southern coastal city of Malaga have announced measures to clamp down on short-term tourist rentals in a bid to tame popular discontent at rampant housing prices. ALSO READ: Barcelona wants to revoke all city’s 10,101 tourist apartment licences by Nov 2028.
The government has encouraged such efforts and is working on creating a register of tourist apartments to tackle illegal rentals and strengthen regulations. ALSO READ: Spanish government to limit short-term rentals and tourist flats to address housing crisis.
‘The uncontrolled tourist apartment sector often operates illegally, without a license … we have to ensure no company, however large or powerful it may be, is above the law,’ said social rights minister Pablo Bustinduy.
ALSO READ: Tourist apartment owners in Barcelona claim over €4bn for closure plan.
🏡 @consumogob ha abierto un expediente sancionador a una plataforma de alquiler de pisos turísticos por no retirar miles de anuncios que, presuntamente, contenían publicidad ilícita.
🗣 El ministro @pbustinduy ha querido explicar este nuevo expediente desde el @Congreso_Es. pic.twitter.com/8Q0rfUlSDh
— Ministerio de Derechos Sociales, Consumo y A2030 (@MSocialGob) December 18, 2024
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