Spain’s Consumer Ministry said Monday it has fined Airbnb €64 million for allowing thousands of tourist apartments to be advertised without the required licenses.
Minister Pablo Bustinduy said the penalty — six times the illicit profit authorities estimate the San Francisco‑based company earned — follows a sanctioning process launched in late 2024.
Officials found 65,122 listings that violated consumer law, including properties without permits and others with false or incorrect registration numbers.
Bustinduy told reporters the government will “defend consumers’ rights regardless of how big or powerful the companies involved in abusive or fraudulent practices may be.”
The ministry said Airbnb failed to act after being notified of the illegal advertising in October 2024.
A sanctioning file was opened in December, and the company challenged the case unsuccessfully before both the ministry and the Madrid High Court. By July, Airbnb was forced to remove more than 65,000 listings.