Spain’s Consumer Rights Ministry has imposed a €64 million ($75 million) fine on Airbnb for advertising unlicensed tourist rental homes, escalating a widening crackdown that officials say is meant to ease pressure on housing supply in popular destinations.
The ministry said the sanction is tied to more than 65,000 listings that allegedly breached consumer-protection rules, including homes missing mandatory registration numbers or displaying numbers that did not match official registers.
Spanish newspaper El País reported the case focused on 65,122 irregular advertisements identified since October 2024, and described additional, smaller penalties related to insufficient disclosure about hosts’ legal status and non-cooperation during the investigation.
Spanish authorities framed the move as part of a broader response to a housing crunch that has become a political flashpoint amid record tourism.
Consumer Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy argued the enforcement action targets business practices that, in the government’s view, exacerbate affordability pressures: “There are thousands of families living on the edge because of housing, while a few get rich from business models that drive people from their homes,” he said in a statement.
The ministry said the fine is calibrated at six times the profit Airbnb allegedly earned from the illegal listings, and characterized it as the second-largest consumer-rights penalty it has issued. The case also follows earlier enforcement: Reuters reported that Airbnb withdrew 65,000 listings in July after the ministry said they violated rules—an episode now central to Spain’s tougher posture toward major platforms that facilitate short-term rentals.
Airbnb said it will appeal the sanction. “Airbnb is confident that the ministry actions are contrary to applicable regulations in Spain and we intend to challenge this fine in court,” a company spokesperson told Reuters, adding that the firm is working with Spain’s Housing Ministry on a new registration framework and that more than 70,000 listings have added a registration number in 2025.
Spain’s move lands amid intensifying regulatory pressure at local, national, and EU levels. In Barcelona—one of Europe’s most visited cities—officials have announced plans to eliminate licensed short-term tourist apartments by 2028 as part of efforts to preserve housing for residents. At the EU level, the European Commission this week outlined an affordability initiative that includes plans to give local authorities clearer legal tools to manage short-term rentals, with proposed legislation expected by the end of 2026.
The enforcement campaign is also expanding beyond home-sharing. Reuters noted Spain previously fined Ryanair €108 million in 2024 for charging extra fees for cabin bags, while the European Commission later criticized Spain’s airline penalties as breaching EU rules—an example of how national crackdowns can collide with EU regulatory constraints.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported Spain fined Booking.com in 2024 over competition concerns, underscoring how Madrid is increasingly willing to confront major travel intermediaries as public anger over housing costs grows.
Sources: Reuters.com, El País, Featured Image: Flickr
