Barcelona Takes the Wind Out of Airbnb’s Sails
- City hall says platform must remove listings without a license
- Airbnb aimed for truce with authorites amid public backlash
How Uber and Airbnb Bent Laws and Made Billions
Barcelona’s city hall rejected a proposal by Airbnb Inc. to limit the number of home rentals in the city, setting off a fresh clash between the platform and local authorities vowing to clamp down on unregulated tourism.
The city hall said the plan to limit home listings in the central Barcelona area of Ciutat Vella doesn’t go far in enough in tackling the use of unlicensed rentals for tourists. While Airbnb hoped the new limits would ease tensions after a year marred by sanctions and public backlash from locals complaining about crowds in central Barcelona, the city hall said Airbnb must stop advertising all properties without a license while adding that it would keep sanctions against the home-rental platform unchanged.