Key Takeaways
• Over 65,000 Airbnb listings were blocked by Spain for failing to display required license numbers and ownership details.
• Strict new national rules for short-term rentals began January 2025, with full enforcement set for July 1, 2025.
• Barcelona plans a total ban on tourist rentals by 2028 amid housing shortages and mounting overtourism concerns.
Spain has taken strong new action against Airbnb and similar short-term rental platforms. More than 65,000 holiday rental listings have been blocked by Spain’s consumer rights ministry for not following the country’s updated rules. This move is part of a bigger plan to deal with two main problems: a rising housing crisis for locals and growing worries about how short-term rentals are affecting communities.
What Happened and Why It Matters
On May 19, 2025, the Spanish government told Airbnb to remove over 65,000 rental listings that did not meet new requirements. According to officials, most of these properties did not show proper license numbers or failed to state if the owner was a person or a company. These missing details violated strict new national rules introduced in January 2025. The government made these regulations even stronger by setting July 1, 2025, as the date when enforcement would start fully.
The blocked properties are just the first sign of what may be coming for Spain’s short-term rental market. For travelers, property owners, and anyone thinking of moving to Spain, it’s important to understand why this action was taken and what it means.
The Government’s Motivations
Officials in Spain believe short-term rentals through companies like Airbnb are making housing much harder to find for local people. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez clearly summarized the government’s stance, saying, “Our obligation is to prioritize use of homes over tourist use,” and, “There are too many Airbnbs. What’s lacking is housing.”
The main concerns driving these new rules can be grouped into a few key ideas:
- Housing Crisis: Many believe that non-residents, especially those from outside the European Union, are buying properties in Spain, often not to live in but just to rent out to tourists. This can shrink the number of homes available for locals and push up prices everywhere, making it harder for Spaniards to buy or rent homes.
- Overtourism: Spain is one of the world’s top tourist destinations. In 2024 alone, 94 million foreign tourists visited—10 percent more than the year before. While tourism is good for the economy, too many tourists can strain services and upset those who live full time in popular cities and towns. Protests about “too much tourism” have been happening, and officials expect even more unrest in 2025 if nothing changes.
- Local Impact: The city of Barcelona has become a key battleground in this debate. In June 2024, Mayor Jaume Collboni went as far as announcing a complete ban on tourist rentals in the city by 2028. This shows just how serious the problem has become for local leaders in Spain.
Breaking Down the New Rules for Airbnb and Short-Term Rentals
Spain’s new regulations, which were first put in place in January 2025 and will be fully enforced starting July 1, 2025, include several demanding steps for anyone hoping to rent out property for short holidays. Here’s what the rules cover:
- Licenses and Registration: Before owners can list a rental on Airbnb or any similar website, they must register the property in a national database and obtain a special permit. Each listing must show its official license number.
- Who Owns the Property: Listings need to state if the owner is a private person or a company. This helps officials track patterns of ownership and spot cases where large investors are buying up many homes to rent out.
- Guest Records: Property owners now have to collect sensitive information from all guests, including their bank details and personal identifiers like passport numbers. This is meant to help law enforcement and to keep track of who is staying where.
- Centralized Online Application: Spain has introduced a new digital system called Ventanilla Única Digital. This is supposed to make it easier for owners to apply for the required rental license all in one place.
- Shared Building Rules: There’s now a reform of the Horizontal Property Law, which allows a big change to how rentals are managed in apartment buildings. If 60 percent of the property owners in a shared building vote in favor, they can now restrict or even ban tourist rentals completely in their building.
- Guest Data Registration Platform: From 2025, guest information must be registered with SES.HOSPEDAJES, another official online platform. This is required for every stay.
- Rules for Andalucía: One of Spain’s most popular holiday areas, Andalucía, is also tightening its rules. Starting April 3, 2025, anyone who wants to do short-term rentals must provide clear proof from their community of owners (the group that runs the apartment building or housing block) that tourist rentals are allowed in that location.
These steps show that Spain is using technology and legal power in new ways to control the number of short-term rentals and make sure they follow local laws. For detailed up-to-date rules and official forms about rentals, property owners can visit the Spanish Ministry of Consumer Affairs’ official website.
Immediate Effects on Airbnb, Renters, and Immigrants
Blocking more than 65,000 Airbnb listings creates many quick changes. For people wanting to travel to Spain, there will be fewer choices for holiday accommodation in the short run. Prices could rise as demand is squeezed into fewer available rentals that have all the right paperwork.
For property owners who make money through short-term rentals, this crackdown means higher costs and more steps to meet government requirements. Some may have to stop renting out their homes if they cannot get their paperwork approved. This could reduce their income and cause some people to sell these properties, possibly lowering prices if enough owners do so at the same time.
For immigrants and people thinking about moving to Spain, there are additional points to consider:
- Tougher Scrutiny for Non-EU Buyers: The Spanish government has said that non-residents, especially people from outside the European Union, have sometimes used home buying mainly for business instead of for living. Future buyers may face closer checks or even more restrictions if these trends continue.
- Housing Access for Newcomers: One of the stated goals of these policies is to “favor access to housing and protect consumer rights,” as Consumer Minister Pablo Bustinduy put it. If these efforts succeed, it may eventually become cheaper or easier to find an apartment for those who want to move to Spain for work or family reasons.
Long-Term Impact: What Could Happen Next?
Spain’s approach could set an example for other countries that are struggling with similar problems. By making it much harder to list properties as short-term rentals, Spanish officials hope to:
- Return more homes to the regular local rental and sales market
- Slow down the overall rise in property prices
- Limit profiteering by large investors and people who do not live in Spain
- Reduce friction between tourists and locals
- Keep local neighborhoods “livable” for families, elderly people, and those who need affordable homes
However, not everyone agrees this will work. Airbnb, for example, has strongly criticized the new restrictions. The company says these changes could put 400,000 jobs in Spain at risk and shrink almost €30 billion of income linked to tourism and rentals. While these numbers come from Airbnb and serve their interests, they show that there are two sides to the debate.
Many property owners worry that the quality of Spain’s holiday market will suffer, making it less attractive for travelers and hurting small business owners. Others think this is the only way to protect the housing rights of people who live and work in Spain.
Local Reactions and Ongoing Tensions
In parts of Spain, especially Barcelona and popular beach areas, some residents have been protesting what they call “overtourism.” Their complaints include noisy parties, crowded public transport, and landlords who switch from long-term tenants to more profitable short-term holidaymakers. These protests became more frequent during 2024 and are expected to continue. Many local leaders believe that only stronger national rules will bring the situation under control.
Barcelona, for its part, stands out as an example of how far officials are willing to go. The city’s mayor announced the total ban on all tourist rentals in the city by 2028. If this ban is enforced, it would be one of the toughest such laws in Europe.
How the Rules Affect Future Immigration, Work, and Living in Spain
For those hoping to move to Spain—whether for work, retirement, or study—these new rules could affect your plans in different ways:
- Finding Housing: It might become easier to find long-term apartments or houses to rent, as fewer homes go to the holiday rental market.
- Buying Property as a Foreigner: You may face new paperwork or screening if you want to buy a home as a non-resident, especially if you come from outside the European Union.
- Impact on Earnings: If you intended to buy property and use Airbnb short-term rentals as your main source of income, this strategy now comes with added risks and possible delays.
- Community Living: Shared apartment buildings now have more power to say “no” to tourist rentals. If you plan on renting out an apartment you buy, you’ll need explicit approval from your building community in many regions.
Balancing Tourism, Workers, and Local Wellbeing
Spain must balance the huge value that tourists bring with the housing needs of local people, newcomers, and workers. Studies and experience from other countries show that too many short-term rentals can make local life harder, especially in cities and popular tourist spots. On the other hand, well-managed short-term rentals can support small businesses, create jobs, and offer flexible accommodation for travelers from around the world.
The changes unfolding in Spain are followed not just by Spanish citizens or immigrants, but by anyone interested in property investment, international travel, or global work opportunities.
As reported by VisaVerge.com, these types of government actions are likely to continue as more places try to solve the tug-of-war between visitor dollars and the need for stable, affordable housing.
What Should Renters, Property Owners, and Immigrants Do Next?
- If you are a traveler, check listings carefully for clear license numbers and only book properties fully registered with the Spanish government or local authorities.
- If you own property in Spain or plan to, look into registration and licensing rules as early as possible, and contact your building’s community for approval.
- For would-be immigrants, stay tuned to changes in property ownership rules and talk with local real estate experts before making any long-term plans.
Summary
Spain’s action to block tens of thousands of Airbnb listings marks a shift in how the country manages short-term rentals, tourism, immigration, and housing. The new system of strict national rules attempts to address a deep housing crisis, protect consumer rights, and calm growing protests about “overtourism.” The rules are complicated, with many steps for property owners; travelers and workers looking to move to Spain must also be aware of how their choices are affected by these changes.
The final outcome of Spain’s new approach will depend on how well these rules are enforced, how builders and owners respond, and whether other countries follow Spain’s example. For now, these steps mark the start of a dramatic new chapter for everyone involved in Spanish housing—long-term residents, would-be immigrants, property investors, and global travelers alike.
Learn Today
Short-term Rentals → Properties rented out for brief periods, such as holidays, instead of traditional long-term leases. Common on platforms like Airbnb.
License Number → A government-issued identification required for rental properties, proving legal registration and compliance with local regulations.
Horizontal Property Law → Spanish law allowing owners in an apartment building to collectively regulate or ban tourist rentals within the building.
Ventanilla Única Digital → A centralized digital system in Spain allowing property owners to apply for short-term rental licenses online.
SES.HOSPEDAJES → Official Spanish online platform for registering guest data, required for all short-term rental stays starting in 2025.
This Article in a Nutshell
Spain has cracked down on Airbnb, blocking more than 65,000 listings lacking new license or ownership disclosures. These tough rules aim to ease Spain’s housing crisis and address overtourism. Property owners must navigate stringent regulations, while travelers and immigrants face fewer options and stricter requirements for stays and rentals alike.
— By VisaVerge.com
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