Short-term rentals for tourists in Spain have increased by 25% in the last two years. According to a study published by the tourism lobby group Exceltur, this rise occurred despite efforts by local authorities to curb overtourism and a nationwide housing crisis.
According to Exceltur’s analysis, this increase was particularly concentrated in Spain’s 50 most visited municipalities. These regions hosted half of the foreign tourists who visited the country in 2024. In contrast, the number of available hotel rooms increased by only 2% between 2022 and 2024.
The study was prepared based on registered tourist stays and advertisements on digital platforms.Following the explosion in tourist influx after the pandemic, Spain is trying to limit the number of short-term rental homes. Locals have staged protests, arguing that excessive tourism has increased rent and housing prices. According to the Bank of Spain, there is a housing shortage of approximately 450,000 in the country, and the government is trying to encourage landlords to offer long-term rentals to locals instead of short-term rentals to tourists.
Some cities are taking concrete steps in this regard. The Mayor of Barcelona has banned new short-term rental permits until 2028.
Other popular destinations such as Malaga, Madrid and the Canary Islands are also imposing similar restrictions. Last week, the Spanish government asked Airbnb (ABNB.O) to remove more than 65,000 listings from its platform that allegedly violated existing rules. Airbnb announced it would appeal the decision. Exceltur Vice President Oscar Perelli told Reuters that such regulations are difficult to implement by local and regional authorities using traditional oversight methods. Short-term rentals in Madrid increased by 49% between 2022 and 2024, now accounting for 38% of the city’s total 176,702 beds. Malaga saw a 36% increase during the same period, and these rentals now cover 56% of the city’s accommodation capacity. Even in Barcelona, which has been imposing a moratorium on new permits for years, short-term rentals increased by 26%. Spain, the world’s second most popular tourist destination after France, welcomed 25.6 million foreign tourists in the first four months of 2025, marking a 7% increase compared to the same period of the previous year.
