A groundbreaking contract has been signed between Airbnb and Ibiza, Spain, to tackle illegal tourist accommodation. The deal shows “blatantly” illegal property, including caravans, tents, yurts and boats, which have been removed from the platform without opportunities for discussion or appeal.
The move is designed to avoid expensive legal delays in cracking down on illegal holiday permits. Since the agreement began enactment, over 300 ads have already been removed from the site, which have been banned by many users.
Airbnb users who are found to be breaking the law may face a complete blockage from the platform under the new system. Currently, Ibiza has 100 open cases. This is expected to rise to over 200 due to the implementation of these new measurements.
The agreement was signed by Ibiza council leader Vicecent Mali and Jaime Rodriguez de Santiago, Spanish director of Airbumbu. “Airbnb chose Ibiza to establish a fight against the invasion of tourist flats,” Mari said. “The island is small, but it's a big player in the Spanish tourism industry,” according to Olive Press.
Santiago expressed his hope that Ibiza will become a “many and many” council to work with Airbnb, saying, “This is the beginning of a long relationship.”
To address the council and its impact, the council has declared that their new agreement will support the island's environmental, social and economic sustainability while improving tourism quality, Mirror reports. Mali said the arrangement is “a roadmap milestone set up more than five years ago to lead the island's unregulated battle with unregulated supply.”
Amid rising local rage over a decline in housing supplies, the holidays have fired over the past year, like Airbnbs crossing Spain. Famous for its pulsating club life and its idyllic coast, Ibiza attracts a large number of British people every year.
Last June, Barcelona announced a citywide ban on short-term rentals, including Airbnb and Booking.com, by November 2028. Mayor JaumeCollboni has cited more than 10,000 apartments registered as tourist rentals, has halted the issuance of licenses and plans to release many of the properties to the public market.
At the time, he highlighted the need to deal with Barcelona's housing shortage, saying:
“This scale doesn't change the situation one day or the next. These issues take time. But this scale marks a turning point.”
