Spain Enforces Removal of 65,000 Illegal Short-Term Rentals Amid Housing Crisis

Spain is intensifying its crackdown on short-term tourism rentals due to concerns over overtourism and a worsening housing crisis, proposing a new 21% value added tax on rentals under 30 days—double the current hotel tax rate—and removing around 65,000 non-compliant Airbnb listings in popular destinations such as Madrid, Barcelona, and the Balearic Islands. The government argues these measures aim to prioritize housing availability for residents and regulate the tourism sector, though critics, including tourism apartment owners, view some policies as discriminatory or detrimental to the rental market. Similarly, Prague is pursuing legislation to regulate short-term rentals by requiring registration and local authority approval, reflecting a broader European trend to manage the impacts of unregulated tourist accommodations on housing and city infrastructure. Airbnb disputes the Spanish government's actions, claiming no evidence of rule-breaking by hosts and attributing housing affordability issues to insufficient construction rather than short-term rentals. Alternative platforms like Fairbnb have emerged in Spain to promote sustainable and regulated tourism accommodations. These regulatory efforts highlight the tension between maintaining tourism as an economic driver and addressing the social and housing challenges intensified by short-term rental proliferation.