SPAIN FINES AIRBNB US$74.5 MLN OVER UNLICENSED TOURIST RENTALS

ISTANBUL, Dec 15 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Spain imposed a €64 million (US$74.5 million) fine on Airbnb for advertising tens of thousands of unlicensed tourist accommodations, said an official statement on Monday, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

The fine against the online short-term rental platform is final after the resolution of an administrative appeal lodged with Consumer Affairs Minister Pablo Bustinduy, said the Social Rights Ministry.

The penalty was classified as a serious infringement and relates primarily to the publication of listings for tourist accommodations without valid licences, in violation of consumer protection rules.

Authorities said the violations affected over 65,000 Airbnb listings.

According to the ministry, Airbnb engaged in unfair commercial practices by advertising properties without registration numbers required under most regional regulations, as well as by publishing listings with licence numbers that did not correspond to official registries.

In some cases, ads also failed to provide truthful information about the legal status of hosts, which officials described as deceptive advertising.

- 'No company in Spain can be above the law.'

The fine corresponds to six times the illicit profit allegedly obtained by the platform during the period the illegal listings remained online, from the moment authorities warned Airbnb until their eventual removal.

The High Court of Justice of Madrid had previously upheld orders requiring the removal of such content in several rulings.

The ruling also includes additional penalties and corrective measures.

These include a €10,000 fine for failing to comply with distance-selling regulations by omitting information on the legal nature of hosts, another €10,000 fine for obstructing inspections by not responding to information requests during the investigation, and a €55,000 fine for failing to comply with provisional measures ordered to prevent harm to consumers.

Authorities also ordered Airbnb to remove the illegal content identified and to publicly disclose the imposed fine.

Bustinduy said the action forms part of the government’s broader efforts to address Spain’s housing crisis, noting that disciplinary proceedings are also underway against several real estate agencies for alleged abusive practices against tenants.

“Thousands of families are living on the edge because of the housing situation, while a few enrich themselves with business models that force people out of their homes,” he said, adding that “no company in Spain, however large or powerful, can be above the law.”

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU