“Spain blocks more than 65,000 Airbnb holiday rental listings”

…Spain has ordered Airbnb… to withdraw more than 65,000 listings for holiday rentals which it said violated existing rules from its platform as part of a general crackdown on a business blamed for contributing to the housing crisis in the country.

Most of the Airbnb listings to be blocked do not include their licence number, while others do not specify whether the owner was an individual or a corporation…

Consumer Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy said his goal was to end the general "lack of control" and "illegality" in the holiday rental business…

Airbnb will appeal the decision, a spokesperson said on Monday. The company believes the ministry does not have the authority to make rulings over short-term rentals and failed to provide an evidence-based list of non-compliant accommodation. Some of the incriminated listings are non-touristic seasonal ones, the spokesperson said.

The Spanish government, as well as city councils and regional authorities, have launched a general crackdown on tourism rentals via sites such as Airbnb and Booking.com … which many Spaniards say are creating excess tourism, reducing the housing supply and making renting unaffordable for many locals [Booking.com was reached for comment by Reuters at the time of reporting]…