Spain orders Airbnb to ban 65,000 illegal tourist apartments ahead of the summer season

After a Madrid Court threw out AIRBNB’s appeal, 65,000 listings for unlicensed holiday flats in Spain could be removed.

In recent months, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs has sent three orders demanding that online advertisements be removed because accommodation violates tourist housing regulations.

The Madrid High Court has backed the Ministry over its first submission, which results in a ban of over 5,800 advertisements for properties located in Andalucia and Madrid, Catalunya as well as the Valencian Community.

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Airbnb is urged to remove all remaining listings by the Consumer Affairs ministry after two more complaints are yet to be heard in court.

In a press release, the government department stated that the ads violated regional and national laws.

The listing does not include the number of the license or registration, which in many areas is required.

Advertisements also do not state the status of landlords.

Consumer Affairs said that knowing whether landlords are professionals or individuals ‘is essential to find out what level of consumer protection is available to a client.

The Ministry has already taken action against several managers who posed as private individuals in order to rent their housing portfolio.

It says that true identities are concealed to avoid the legal requirement to have a department for customer service to handle possible claims.

Consumer Affairs has also raised the issue of advertisements with fake license numbers.

The report stated, “This practice could mislead or confuse consumers.”