Spain has ordered Airbnb to take down more than 65,000 holiday rental listings due to violations of local regulations, including missing license numbers and mismatched owner information. The Consumer Rights Ministry announced the removal of 65,935 listings, citing non-compliance with licensing rules, with many operated without official licenses. The move is part of Spain's broader effort to address a housing affordability crisis, which has led to protests by thousands of Spaniards against rising rental costs driven by short-term rentals in cities like Madrid and Barcelona. Spain’s government aims to end illegal short-term rentals and increase control over the industry, with the Madrid high court backing the order. Airbnb plans to appeal, arguing that the government’s methodology is indiscriminate and that many listings do not require licenses. As of November last year, about 321,000 homes in Spain held holiday rental licenses, a 15% increase since 2020, though many still operate without official approval. Barcelona has announced plans to shut down all 10,000 licensed short-term rentals by 2028 to protect local residents’ housing supply.