Tourist rental properties have surged by 25% in Spain over the past two years, latest figures show.
The figure, revealed in a study by tourism lobby group Exceltur, will raise further fears of local residents being pushed out of city centres and holiday hotspots.
The same study showed that hotel capacity nationwide only grew by 2% over the same period.
The number of beds in short‑term rentals has ballooned, particularly in major cities.
In Madrid, the figure rose by 49% over the past two years, with Airbnb-style lets now housing 38% of visitors.
In Malaga, it spiked 36%, with short-term rentals accounting for 56% of its tourism bed stock.
This influx has intensified strain on local housing markets, with the Bank of Spain warning of a national deficit of 450,000 homes.
Local governments have attempted to stem the tide. By 2028, Barcelona plans to ban all new short‑term permits, while Madrid, Malaga, and the Canary Islands have imposed fresh restrictions
In a dramatic move, Spain recently ordered Airbnb to delist over 65,000 non‑compliant rentals.
Yet enforcement of new rules appears weak. Exceltur’s vice president, Oscar Perelli, said: ‘The big problem with these regulations is that, with traditional inspections, regional and local governments have been unable to enforce them.’
Residents and officials link the surge in tourist flats to spiraling rent and property prices. Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo told AP News the dual challenge of tourism and housing demands ‘a balanced approach involving regulation and increased supply…to resolve the housing issue.’
Cuerpo noted Spain could host up to 100 million visitors in 2025, a number which threatens to flatten local markets if action is not taken.
It comes as protests against overtourism and lack of housing continue to erupt across the country.
Just this month, tens of thousands of fed-up locals took to the streets of Mallorca, Barcelona and elsewhere, spraying holidaymakers with water pistols and telling them to ‘go home’.
As of April this year, any new holiday-rental property now requires approval from at least 60% of homeowners in a building, per the revised Horizontal Property Law.
However, a recent Idealista survey found short‑term rentals now make up 14% of the nation’s rental market, with cities like Barcelona showing 47% of listings devoted to seasonal use.
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