Spain Orders Removal of 86,000 Illegal STR Listings

Spain Orders Removal of 86,000 Illegal STR Listings

Spain’s short-term rental market is facing another major wave of enforcement as the government steps up efforts to remove illegal vacation rentals.

Just a few days ago, Spain’s Housing Ministry directed online booking platforms to remove 86,275 short-term rental listings that failed to comply with national rules requiring valid registration numbers and official permits.

This latest move brings the total number of delisted STRs to well over 200,000 since Spain began enforcing stricter national registration rules in early 2025.

Why Spain Is Fighting (Illegal) Airbnbs

Spain’s crackdown responds to growing public and political pressure over housing affordability and overtourism — especially in popular destinations like Madrid, Barcelona, Marbella, Málaga, Ibiza, and the Canary Islands.

Spain’s crackdown comes amid rising public and political pressure over housing affordability and overtourism—especially in hotspots like Madrid, Barcelona, Marbella, Málaga, Ibiza, and the Canary Islands.

Critics of unregulated short-term rentals argue that illegal listings:

• Reduce available long-term housing

• Push up rents and home prices for locals

• Increase overtourism and neighborhood disruption

That backlash has translated into tougher enforcement and clearer national rules to ensure short-term rentals operate legally and transparently.

A National Registry and Stronger Enforcement

At the center of Spain’s regulatory shift is a Unified National Registry for Short-Term Rentals, introduced to bring order to what was previously a patchwork of local rules.

Under this system:

• All STR properties must be registered in the National Registry for

For Tourist and Seasonal Rentals

• Listings must display a unique registration number (NRA) on platforms like Airbnb, Booking.com, and VRBO

• Platforms are required to remove listings that don’t include a valid registration number

Government estimates from 2025 suggested over 1.1 million tourist beds could be affected if listings failed to comply.

Listings that remain unregistered after enforcement actions are subject to removal—and both hosts and platforms can face serious penalties.

(They’re not bluffing — Airbnb has already been fined €64 million).

The goal is simple: Make sure every short-term rental is visible, traceable, and playing by the same rules—instead of operating under the radar.

Where Enforcement Has Hit Hardest

Here's what's already happening on the ground:

• Madrid’s “Plan Reside” led to more than 2,600 tourist flats being removed

• Ibiza removed over 2,800 illegal Airbnb listings in 2025, representing roughly 14,500 unlicensed beds

Top municipalities for revoked or rejected licenses:

• Madrid: 5,344

• Barcelona: 5,005

• Marbella: 2,993

Key regional trends:

• Andalusia accounts for roughly 25% of all illegal tourist flats nationwide

• Valencia and the Canary Islands follow closely

• Málaga Province stands out, with 7 municipalities in the top 20 for rejected applications

And this isn’t the first major wave. In late 2025, Spain had already ordered the removal of around 65,000 Airbnb listings.

What Spain’s Current STR Regulations Look Like

If you’re hosting or investing in Spain (or considering it), here’s what you need to know:

Unified National Registry (Mandatory)

Launched in 2025, this registry requires all short-term rentals to:

• Obtain an official registration number (NRA)

• Display that number on every listing

• Register even if local permits also apply

Listings that don’t comply can be delisted quickly

Regional and Local Rules Still Apply

The national registry is the baseline — not the finish line.

Many cities and regions still enforce additional rules, including:

• Local licensing and zoning limits

• HOA or building-level approval requirements

• Restrictions on new tourist apartments in high-pressure areas (like the Balearic Islands)

The Effect on Spain’s STR Market

STR restrictions results aren't always what people expect. But in Spain, the impact is already showing.

Industry data suggests the number of tourist rental properties across Spain’s 25 most visited destinations fell by about 4.1% in 2025—the first nationwide decline in years.

Some sources estimate STR supply in Spain’s most popular tourist islands is now up to 80% lower than in 2017.

That said, results vary city by city, and it’s still too early to know how effective these measures will be at easing housing shortages or overtourism long-term.

Final Takeaways: Compliance, Community, and the Future of STRs

Here’s what this should teach us:

• Know the rules where you operate. Registration isn’t optional anymore — and platforms are enforcing it. In an increasingly hostile environment for STRs, compliance is non-negotiable.

• Community relationships matter. Cities aren’t reacting only to housing — they’re responding to noise, overcrowding, and local disruption. STRs should work with neighbors, not against them.

• Transparency can protect you. Hosts who operate responsibly, build trust, and follow the rules are far more likely to survive regulatory pressure — and sometimes even gain community support when restrictions are proposed.

We’ve seen this before. In places like Albuquerque, engaged and compliant hosts helped sway council votes three times by showing STRs don’t have to be the problem.

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