https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed An alliance of 22 cities from across Europe urged the EU on Thursday to enact tougher rules on Airbnb and other short-term holiday rental platforms, accusing them of driving up property prices and squeezing out locals. https://www.thelocal.es/20200917/cities-across-europe-demand-tougher-rules-for-airbnb-rentals Thu, 17 Sep 2020 16:13:27 +0200 cities-across-europe-demand-tougher-rules-for-airbnb-rentals Airbnb is restricting many under-25s in Spain from renting entire homes via its platform. https://www.thelocal.es/20200814/airbnb-restricts-under-25s-in-spain-in-a-bid-to-put-a-stop-to-parties Fri, 14 Aug 2020 13:10:14 +0200 airbnb-restricts-under-25s-in-spain-in-a-bid-to-put-a-stop-to-parties In recent years ordinary Spaniards have been capitalising on their country’s much admired cuisine and culture to sell ‘Spanish eating experiences’ to tourists from their own homes. But things are about to get a lot stricter for this unregulated occupation. https://www.thelocal.es/20190708/why-is-spain-cracking-down-on-paid-meals-at-home-with-spaniards Mon, 08 Jul 2019 14:56:26 +0200 why-is-spain-cracking-down-on-paid-meals-at-home-with-spaniards This week Madrid's city hall adopted a plan to regulate short-term holiday rentals in a bid to preserve neighbourhoods from being overrun with tourists and pricing out local residents. https://www.thelocal.es/20190328/madrid-adopts-plan-to-limit-private-tourist-rentals Thu, 28 Mar 2019 12:36:16 +0100 madrid-adopts-plan-to-limit-private-tourist-rentals Further proof for Airbnb critics that the short-term rental site has grown from a well-meaning 'little earner' to an uncontrollable real estate machine powered largely by corporate greed. https://www.thelocal.es/20180827/a-third-of-spains-airbnb-landlords-own-5-or-more-homes Mon, 27 Aug 2018 16:04:40 +0200 a-third-of-spains-airbnb-landlords-own-5-or-more-homes Summer is here and you would like nothing better than to invite your friends around for a barbecue on your rooftop terrace and sip cocktails as you watch the sun sink below the surrounding cityscape. https://www.thelocal.es/20180613/rent-a-terrace-new-rental-portal-launched-for-private-parties-and-barbecues Wed, 13 Jun 2018 19:00:07 +0200 rent-a-terrace-new-rental-portal-launched-for-private-parties-and-barbecues Valencia is the latest Spanish city to introduce curbs on private holiday rentals in a bid to tackle mass tourism. https://www.thelocal.es/20180509/valencia-joins-the-battle-against-mass-tourism-with-ban-on-rooms-with-a-view Wed, 09 May 2018 13:04:45 +0200 valencia-joins-the-battle-against-mass-tourism-with-ban-on-rooms-with-a-view Homesharing website Airbnb will remove adverts for lodgings in Barcelona that lack permits to host tourists under a deal reached Wednesday with city authorities after months of dispute. https://www.thelocal.es/20170713/barcelona-and-airbnb-reach-deal-after-months-of-conflict Thu, 13 Jul 2017 12:59:03 +0200 barcelona-and-airbnb-reach-deal-after-months-of-conflict Homeowners in central Barcelona will only be able to rent out one place on Airbnb as part of new rules announced Tuesday by the home rentals website, at loggerheads with local authorities. https://www.thelocal.es/20170208/airbnb-limits-rentals-in-barcelona Wed, 08 Feb 2017 11:37:23 +0100 airbnb-limits-rentals-in-barcelona A Spanish court has annulled a fine of €30,000 ($32,000) imposed by the regional government of Catalonia on Airbnb for advertising lodgings that did not have permits to host tourists. https://www.thelocal.es/20161213/spanish-court-annuls Tue, 13 Dec 2016 10:28:26 +0100 spanish-court-annuls Barcelona city hall said on Thursday that it would fine home rental websites Airbnb and HomeAway €600,000 ($635,000) each for marketing lodgings that lacked permits to host tourists. https://www.thelocal.es/20161124/barcelona-fine-airbnb-homeaway Thu, 24 Nov 2016 12:17:44 +0100 barcelona-fine-airbnb-homeaway An Indian housing society faced a social media backlash Friday for moral policing after barring an unmarried male tenant from hosting a Spanish female guest at an upscale apartment complex near New Delhi. https://www.thelocal.es/20161104/spanish-guest-barred-from-home-of-indian-bachelor Fri, 04 Nov 2016 15:16:15 +0100 spanish-guest-barred-from-home-of-indian-bachelor The Catalan capital ordered the shutdown of 615 illegally operating tourist flats in just two months and has issued fines of €30,000 to nine different online platforms, including Tripadvisor. https://www.thelocal.es/20160919/war-on-tourism-barcelona-shuts-down-615-flats-and-fines-tripadvisor-30k Mon, 19 Sep 2016 17:46:49 +0200 war-on-tourism-barcelona-shuts-down-615-flats-and-fines-tripadvisor-30k Barcelona has imposed a 20-fold hike in the maximum fine that can be given to home rental sites like Airbnb if they promote illegal accommodation. https://www.thelocal.es/20160629/barcelona-to-raise-fine-for-illegal-home-rental-lodgings-to-600000 Wed, 29 Jun 2016 10:35:45 +0200 barcelona-to-raise-fine-for-illegal-home-rental-lodgings-to-600000 The Vicepresident of Spanish hotel chain Melia International warned on Thursday of the risk Airbnb posed to the global tourism industry. https://www.thelocal.es/20160205/airbnb-biggest-risk-to-world-tourism-says-spanish-hotel-boss Fri, 05 Feb 2016 16:49:27 +0100 airbnb-biggest-risk-to-world-tourism-says-spanish-hotel-boss Barcelona's left-wing city hall has slapped home rental websites Airbnb and HomeAway with fines for marketing lodgings that lacked permits to host tourists. https://www.thelocal.es/20151222/barcelona-city-hall-fines-airbnb Tue, 22 Dec 2015 10:02:26 +0100 barcelona-city-hall-fines-airbnb The country that invented tapas understands the concept of sharing. But baking that idea into Spain’s regulatory policies is proving to be more difficult, writes Gary Shapiro. https://www.thelocal.es/20151009/why-spain-needs-the-sharing-economy Fri, 09 Oct 2015 16:33:12 +0200 why-spain-needs-the-sharing-economy Barcelona's new mayor is drawing up the battle lines in a bid to crackdown on uncontrolled tourism but Airbnb insists that there is a simple solution. https://www.thelocal.es/20150828/barcelona-should-follow-example-of-paris-and-accept-tourism-tax-says-airbnb Fri, 28 Aug 2015 11:15:37 +0200 barcelona-should-follow-example-of-paris-and-accept-tourism-tax-says-airbnb The popular holiday-rental company told The Local it is re-evaluating its security measures after an American teen claimed he was assaulted by his host. https://www.thelocal.es/20150821/airbnb-to-beef-up-security-after-madrid-assault Fri, 21 Aug 2015 12:23:01 +0200 airbnb-to-beef-up-security-after-madrid-assault Private home rentals have surpassed the number of hotel beds on offer in Spain for the first time, thanks to popular online services such as Airbnb, a study published by Spanish tourism sector body Exceltur showed. https://www.thelocal.es/20150626/home-stays-more-popular-than-hotels-in-spain Fri, 26 Jun 2015 10:57:14 +0200 home-stays-more-popular-than-hotels-in-spain