The Spanish Ministry of Consumer Protection said that most of the blocked Facebook lists did not clearly state the license number, while others did not clearly state whether the owner was an individual or a company.
Consumer Protection Minister Pablo Bustinduy said his goal is to end the "lack of control" and "illegalism" in the resort rental business.
The Spanish government, as well as city councils and regional governments, have launched a strong campaign against tourist rental through websites such as Airbnb and Booking.com, which many Spaniards believe is creating over-travel, reducing housing supply and making renting too expensive for many locals.
Housing has become a major problem in Spain because construction activities have not kept up with demand, since the construction bubble broke out more than 15 years ago.
According to official figures, as of November 2024, there were about 321,000 houses with resort rental licenses in Spain, an increase of 15% compared to 2020. Many other houses operate without an official license.
The Ministry of Consumer Protection opened an investigation into Airbnb in December 2024.
Previously, Airbnb said it always asked homeowners to confirm that they had the right to rent and complied with all local regulations. The company also said the department has not provided a list of non-compliant accommodation and many owners do not need a license to lease their property.
The company said the department had no authority to make a ruling on short-term leasing and was ignoring the court's ruling stating that Airbnb was a digital company, not a real estate company.
Meanwhile, Mr. Bustinduy said that the order issued on May 19 had received support from the Madrid Supreme Court.
In January 2025, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a plan to increase taxes on income from renting motels on various platforms.
Barcelona Mayor Jaume collboni has taken Spain's toughest move ever in June 2024, when he issued a complete ban on tourist rental in 2028.
Other European countries such as Croatia and Italy have also taken action to slow down resort rental business activities.
