Spain Fines Airbnb €64 Million for Publishing Unlicensed Tourist Rentals

Spain’s Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and Agenda 2030 has imposed a substantial and definitive fine of €64,055,311 on short-term rental platform Airbnb. The main reason for this heavy sanction is the platform’s continued practice of publishing tourist accommodation listings lacking the necessary licenses, a practice deemed contrary to numerous Spanish autonomous community regulations. The sanction is carefully calculated to equal six times the illicit profit Airbnb derived from these sanctioned practices, representing revenues generated by non-compliant listings from December 2024 to July 2025. The ministry had initially required the platform to remove 65,122 listings. Airbnb appealed this obligation, but the Madrid Superior Court of Justice confirmed the ministry’s resolutions twice. A separate additional fine of €10,000 was imposed for obstruction or refusal to provide data. The minister stated: ‘No company in Spain, however big or powerful, is above the law.’