|
The
government has said the platform's short-term rentals in city
centers and tourism hot spots are contributing to Spain’s
housing crunch while the country welcomes record numbers of
visitors.
Last month, Spain's government ordered Airbnb to block 65,935
listings in the country after the Consumer Rights Ministry
flagged them for violations. It said Airbnb had to immediately
take down 5,800 of them.
The ministry has said the listings it flagged did not include
their license number or specify whether the owner was an
individual or a company. It said others listed numbers that
didn’t match what authorities had.
In a statement, Airbnb said the ministry's actions went against
Spanish regulations that hold owners of short-term rentals, not
the platform, as responsible for listing such information. It
also said the Madrid court's decision was not made on the merits
of the ministry's order, adding that will take longer to decide.
The company asserted that Spain's housing crisis comes down to
“a lack of supply to meet demand,” and said anything else "is a
distraction.”
Last month, Consumer Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy told The
Associated Press that the tourism sector could not "jeopardize
the constitutional rights of the Spanish people,” including
their right to housing and well-being.
Carlos Cuerpo, the economy minister, said in a separate
interview that the government had to tackle the unwanted side
effects of mass tourism. He advocated for building more housing
while regulating short-term holiday rentals.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved
|
|
