Spain fines Airbnb €64 million over unlicensed rentals

The Spanish government has imposed a €64 million ($75 million) fine on Airbnb for advertising unlicensed tourist rentals, citing failure to verify license numbers and incorrect host information. The penalty follows ongoing protests over rising housing costs linked to short-term rental platforms.

By Andrew McBride1 min read

Spain’s consumer rights ministry fined Airbnb 64 million euros for listing short-term rentals without valid licenses. The platform failed to verify license numbers required in many regions, or used numbers that did not match official records.

Airbnb stated it intends to challenge the fine in court. The company reported that over 70,000 listings had added registration numbers since January under a new national system.

The consumer rights minister attributed housing affordability issues to short-term rental businesses. Local authorities in Barcelona plan to phase out all 10,000 licensed short-term rentals by 2028 to protect housing for residents.