Barcelona gives Airbnb 15 days to remove 4,100 unlicensed tourist rentals from platform

The Barcelona council informed Airbnb on Friday that it has 15 days to remove 4,102 ads for unlicensed tourist room rentals in the city.

If it does not comply with this request, the platform faces a €60,000 fine. Airbnb nonetheless argues that renting out rooms on the platform is "an economic lifesaver" for many households.

Getting rid of these ads "will harm the families that need them the most," the company said in a statement issued on Saturday, adding that these rentals "barely impact" the rest of the city. 

This is not the first time Airbnb comes into trouble with the Barcelona council – it was initially fined €60,000 for listing unlicensed rentals, and then €600,000 for recidivism. 

Local officials stated that they will begin informing the people advertising properties that do not have tourist licenses that this practice is illegal as some may not be aware that they are not allowed to rent rooms out through the platform. The council has also vowed to start fining property owners in the coming weeks.  

"We demand the platform to comply with the law," council member Janet Sanz said. The council, she said, strives to guarantee access to affordable housing for residents given that "mass tourism is putting a lot of pressure on neighborhoods," and said that legal rentals were safer for tourists too.  

The Barcelona council first targeted unlicensed apartments for rent on the platform for under 31 days but has now begun to go after rooms that do not have tourist rental permits either.

According to Sanz, this has reduced the number of illegal tourist flats from 6,000 a few years ago "to practically zero" now.

Since 2016, the council has looked through 51,000 Airbnb ads leading to 17,500 disciplinary proceedings, of which 7,400 resulted in cease and desist orders and 8,100 fines.