- The Spanish Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda (MIVAU) has notified platforms to remove 53,876 illegal tourist rental listings.
- These properties did not obtain the mandatory registration number required since July 1, 2025.
- The goverment aims to convert these illegal tourist properties back to the residential rental market.
- Sevilla, Marbella, Barcelona, and Málaga are among the cities with the highest revoked listings.
- Andalusia leads in the number of revoked registrations, followed by the Canary Islands and Catalonia.
Spain Orders Removal of Nearly 54,000 Illegal Tourist Rentals from Online Platforms
The Spanish government is cracking down on illegal tourist apartments as the Ministry of Housing and urban Agenda (MIVAU) has officially notified digital platforms to take down a massive 53,876 listings of tourist rentals that do not comply with new legal requirements.
Since July 1, 2025, platforms are required to only advertise apartments with a valid registration number for tourist use. These registrations are part of Spain’s efforts to regulate the booming short-term rental market and protect the residential rental sector.
Why Are These Listings Being Removed?
The core issue is that these apartments failed to obtain the mandatory registration number after the new rules came into effect this summer. The government’s goal is clear: to ensure that illegal tourist properties come off the short-term rental market and ideally re-enter the long-term residential market to ease housing pressure.
Since the Single Registry of Temporary Accommodations launched on January 1,2025,a total of 336,497 requests have been filed. Out of these, 264,998 (78.75%) pertain to tourist rentals.
Key Figures on Registration and Revocations
| Category | Total Requests | Revoked Requests | Percentage Revoked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist rentals | 264,998 | 53,786 | 20.3% |
Regional Insights: Where Are Most Illegal listings?
The Ministry highlights a regional anomaly in Madrid, where 83% of registration requests were made as temporary rentals but only 17% were for tourist use. Curiously, over a third of the tourist rental requests in Madrid have been revoked.
Here’s a breakdown of the top municipalities in Spain with the most revoked applications:
- Sevilla – 2,289 revocations
- Marbella (Málaga) – 1,802 revocations
- Barcelona - 1,564 revocations
- Málaga – 1,471 revocations
- Madrid – 1,257 revocations
- Other notable mentions: Benalmádena,Adeje (Tenerife),Valencia,Torrevieja,and Fuengirola.
Autonomous Communities with Most Revoked Registrations
| Region | Revoked Registrations |
|---|---|
| Andalusia | 16,740 |
| Canary Islands | 8,698 |
| Catalonia | 7,729 |
| Valencian community | 7,499 |
| Galicia | 2,640 |
| Balearic Islands | 2,373 |
| Community of Madrid | 1,531 |
| Region of Murcia | 1,402 |
| Cantabria | 955 |
The cities of Ceuta and melilla reported the fewest revoked listings (13),trailing behind smaller regions like la Rioja (136) and Extremadura (181).
What’s Next?
Platform operators now have the legal obligation to remove these illegal listings promptly. This move represents a major push by Spain’s government to bring greater clarity and order to the tourist rental sector, which has long been criticized for impacting housing affordability.
For travelers seeking short-term stays,this regulation aims to ensure safer,legal,and better-regulated options. For residents, it’s an important step toward alleviating housing shortages and protecting long-term rentals.
How This Affects renters and Tourists
- Short-term guests: Fewer illegal and potentially problematic listings improve overall safety and service quality.
- Homeowners and landlords: Clear legal frameworks help avoid fines and secure legitimate income sources.
- Local communities: More homes might return to affordable long-term rental markets, reducing housing pressure.
as Spain implements these strong housing policies, other countries struggling with illegal short-term rentals may look to follow this example.
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