The Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and the 2030 Agenda, through the Directorate General for Consumer Affairs, has ordered Airbnb to block 65,935 tourist accommodation listings that violate regional regulations on advertising. The action targets the company’s Irish subsidiary, responsible for managing the platform in Europe. This measure follows the Ministry’s detection of listings posted without meeting the legal requirements established by several autonomous communities. In all cases reviewed, the listings refer to entire homes, not individual rooms.
Judicial Endorsement of Administrative Action
Airbnb appealed the Ministry’s resolutions in court. However, the Madrid High Court has upheld the legality of the Ministry’s initial ruling and has ordered the platform to immediately remove 5,800 listings of properties located in Andalusia, the Madrid Community, Catalonia, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands, and the Basque Country. To date, the Directorate General for Consumer Affairs has issued three resolutions demanding the removal of illegal listings detected on Airbnb’s platform. These demands remain in effect pending further judicial decisions on other appeals.
Legal Grounds for the Action
The Ministry has justified the illegality of the listings based on three main breaches:
Absence of a license or registration number, required by the regulations of several autonomous communities and the most frequent infringement identified.
Lack of information about the legal status of the landlord. Knowing whether the landlord is a professional or a private individual is essential to determining the legal protections available to consumers.
Advertising using unverified or nonexistent license numbers, which may mislead consumers.
Commitment to Legality and the Right to Housing
Minister Pablo Bustinduy has expressed the Government’s commitment to actively collaborate with competent public administrations to curb the spread of illegal tourist accommodations, ensure access to housing, and protect consumer rights. He emphasized that the Ministry’s actions complement measures taken by other state, regional, or local authorities. The Ministry’s Consumer Analysis Unit is gathering data on the tourist rental market and providing technical support to administrations seeking to take similar action.
In this context, Minister Bustinduy traveled to the city of Gandía to strengthen institutional cooperation with the local government in combating the illegal advertising of tourist accommodations. During his visit, he met with Mayor José Manuel Prieto to discuss the social impact of the uncontrolled growth of such rentals. He also called on the Valencian regional government, led by Carlos Mazón, to exercise its authority and act decisively against illegal advertising of tourist properties. The Minister urged the inspection of properties operating outside the legal framework, their closure upon detection of violations, and the sanctioning of responsible companies.
Other Ongoing Actions
It is worth noting that in December 2024, the Directorate General for Consumer Affairs opened a sanctioning proceeding against a digital platform for failing to include license numbers in listings. Additionally, in February 2025, sanctioning proceedings were initiated against major tourist rental managers for not properly disclosing the professional or private status of landlords. These actions are proceeding independently of the measures announced against Airbnb. Furthermore, on March 27, another sanctioning proceeding was opened against a large real estate company for alleged abusive practices against tenants, reflecting the Ministry’s commitment to strengthening consumer protection in the housing sector.
Source: Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and the 2030 Agenda (Airbnb / Valencia)