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Barcelona proposes a new agreement with Airbnb to curb the illegal supply of tourist flats
Barcelona City Council has presented a new proposed agreement with Airbnb that seeks to curb the proliferation of illegal tourist accommodation in the city.
The agreement would require the platform to rigorously verify the legality of published listings and to share key data with the council every month.
Among the main measures is the requirement to check advertisers’ identities, ownership of the property and the authenticity of the information. In addition, it will be compulsory to include the single rental registration number — which has replaced the HUT licence since July — for rentals of fewer than 32 days. The use of false or shared codes will be prevented.
Airbnb would be required to deactivate illegal listings within a maximum of 48 hours and immediately remove repeat offenders or suspected fraudsters. It will also have to provide the bank details of holders receiving payments, which will strengthen financial traceability and the fight against fraud.
For its part, the Ayuntamiento will use the data only for monitoring purposes and will provide a direct, secure channel of communication with the platform. The proposal marks a firm step towards greater transparency and oversight of the tourist market in the Catalan capital.