The consumer rights ministry said that many of the 65,935 Airbnb listings it had ordered to be withdrawn did not include their license number or specify whether the owner was an individual or a company.

MADRID (AP) — Spain has ordered Airbnb to block more than 65,000 holiday listings on its platform for having violated rules, the Consumer Rights Ministry said Monday.

The ministry said that many of the 65,935 Airbnb listings it had ordered to be withdrawn did not include their license number or specify whether the owner was an individual or a company. Others listed numbers that didn’t match what authorities had.

Spain is grappling with a housing affordability crisis that has spurred government action against short-term rental companies.

  • LeninOnAPrayer@lemm.eeEnglish
    5·
    22 hours ago

    My neighborhood i rent in is really expensive. I’m well off but not well off enough to ever be able to afford a house here. Especially not now with a one year old kid. My rent is $3500 but the cheapest house here would be at least $10000 (all expenses considered) a month on a 30 year mortgage.

    Most of the people that live in the single family homes here are old with no kids. Most families with kids here rent.

    Every so often I see one of the homes get all it’s landscaping cleaned up, the house painted and sometimes an extension added onto it. Those are all the Airbnb’s. Just a house that sits there empty for 3/4 weeks.

    The other ones get torn down and turned into what I’d call a “box” house. Basically that ugly style of house that takes up the entire plot of land but still is only meant for one family. These are bought by the inherited wealth families that have a couple kids and want to get out of the main city but still don’t want to live in the deep car dependent suburbs.

    All of this because housing is used as an investment vehicle. From large corporations to individuals in retirement.

    I really wish we could treat it for what it is. Shelter.