Airbnb has been instructed by the Ministry of Social Rights and Consumption to remove over sixty-five thousand illegal holiday rental listings from its platform. The ministry, led by Pablo Bustinduy, highlights that these listings violate various regional advertising regulations intended to protect consumers. Specifically, they fail to include necessary legal registration numbers and do not clarify whether the landlords are professional operators or private individuals.

In recent months, the ministry has issued three resolutions to Airbnb regarding these listings, all of which have been contested by Airbnb in court. However, the Superior Court of Justice of Madrid has now ruled in favour of the ministry’s first resolution, mandating the immediate removal of five thousand eight hundred listings, thereby echoing the ministry’s commitment to enforcing consumer rights.

The irregularities identified by the Directorate General of Consumption include the absence of legal registration numbers in ads, lack of clarity regarding the type of landlords, and the use of incorrect license numbers. These factors contribute to the potential deception of consumers, prompting the ministry’s ongoing efforts to address violations across various regions including Andalusia, Madrid, and Catalonia.

Minister Bustinduy expressed his intention to collaborate with relevant public authorities to tackle the rampant illegal rentals and ensure consumer rights are upheld. The ministry is actively gathering information and providing technical assistance to help local authorities cut back on unlawful listings. Alongside these recent developments, it has also initiated sanctions against holiday rental platforms for similar infractions in the past few months.