Spanish government says housing market not ‘free for all’ after Airbnb crackdown

Barcelona residents protest against mass tourism. (Emilio Morenatti/AP)

Spain’s government wanted to send a message last month with its crackdown on Airbnb: that the Spanish economy and its housing market, in particular, are not a “free for all” that value profits over the rule of law, a minister said.

The Spanish government ordered Airbnb to remove almost 66,000 holiday rentals from the platform which it said had violated local rules by failing to list licence numbers, listing the wrong licence number or not specifying who the apartment’s owner was.