The Consumer Rights Ministry has fined Airbnb €64 million – roughly US $75 million – for advertising holiday homes that lacked mandatory registration numbers or supplied false data. Announced on 15 December, the sanction is the second-largest ever imposed by the ministry and equals six times the profit the platform allegedly earned from the illicit listings.
Minister Pablo Bustinduy said the crackdown targets business models that “push residents out of their neighbourhoods”, linking short-term rentals to Spain’s housing-affordability crisis. The government’s action follows earlier mega-fines against Booking.com (€413 million in 2024) and Ryanair (€108 million) for market-dominance abuses and cabin-bag fees respectively, signalling a broader shift toward muscular consumer enforcement.
Whether you are a travel manager arranging extended stays or an expatriate preparing to relocate, VisaHQ can simplify another compliance headache: visas and permits. Through its Spain hub (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) the platform lets users verify entry requirements, order business or work visas online, and track applications in real time—making it a useful partner alongside accommodation due-diligence checks.
![Spain hits Airbnb with €64 million penalty for unlicensed short-term rentals]()
Airbnb plans to appeal, arguing that rules changed in July and that it has since withdrawn 65,000 non-compliant listings while helping hosts secure new registration numbers. The company says more than 70,000 properties have obtained valid IDs in 2025 under Spain’s national registry, which became mandatory this year.
For corporate travel managers the ruling is a warning to verify that apartments booked for long-term assignments carry a legal licence. In cities such as Barcelona and Málaga inspectors can levy on-the-spot fines and even order an immediate cessation of activity, leaving travellers without lodging. Duty-of-care policies should therefore include a compliance check against municipal registers or require suppliers to provide a licence number in advance.
Local authorities, empowered by a forthcoming Housing Law regulation, will have the right to cap nightly stays and to suspend utilities at illegal flats. Businesses relocating staff to Spain may need to pivot toward regulated serviced-apartment providers or conventional hotels, potentially raising accommodation budgets in 2026.
Minister Pablo Bustinduy said the crackdown targets business models that “push residents out of their neighbourhoods”, linking short-term rentals to Spain’s housing-affordability crisis. The government’s action follows earlier mega-fines against Booking.com (€413 million in 2024) and Ryanair (€108 million) for market-dominance abuses and cabin-bag fees respectively, signalling a broader shift toward muscular consumer enforcement.
Whether you are a travel manager arranging extended stays or an expatriate preparing to relocate, VisaHQ can simplify another compliance headache: visas and permits. Through its Spain hub (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) the platform lets users verify entry requirements, order business or work visas online, and track applications in real time—making it a useful partner alongside accommodation due-diligence checks.
Airbnb plans to appeal, arguing that rules changed in July and that it has since withdrawn 65,000 non-compliant listings while helping hosts secure new registration numbers. The company says more than 70,000 properties have obtained valid IDs in 2025 under Spain’s national registry, which became mandatory this year.
For corporate travel managers the ruling is a warning to verify that apartments booked for long-term assignments carry a legal licence. In cities such as Barcelona and Málaga inspectors can levy on-the-spot fines and even order an immediate cessation of activity, leaving travellers without lodging. Duty-of-care policies should therefore include a compliance check against municipal registers or require suppliers to provide a licence number in advance.
Local authorities, empowered by a forthcoming Housing Law regulation, will have the right to cap nightly stays and to suspend utilities at illegal flats. Businesses relocating staff to Spain may need to pivot toward regulated serviced-apartment providers or conventional hotels, potentially raising accommodation budgets in 2026.
