Benidorm has collected over €100,000 in fines from illegal holiday rental properties as part of a broader crackdown on unauthorized accommodation.
The popular Spanish tourist destination has been actively regulating short-term lets since Benidorm City Council took over responsibility from the Valencian Government last year. Local authorities have levied fines against properties found to be operating without the necessary licenses.
Javi Jorda, Benidorm’s commerce councillor, reported that the first four fines each amounted to €50,001. These amounts were reduced after the owners acknowledged their violations and agreed to prompt payment. Currently, 12 additional sanctions are in the process of being issued.
Since the council gained sanctioning powers, 196 holiday rentals have been flagged through complaints. Of these, 107 were found to be compliant with regulations, while 16 are facing fines and 73 remain under investigation. The Policía Local Benidorm conducts the physical inspections, with the Department of Commerce managing the associated paperwork.
Benidorm is among a limited number of municipalities in the region authorized to issue direct fines, unlike others that depend on regional officials. This local enforcement comes as Spain continues to address issues related to tourism rentals.
Earlier this year, the Spanish government fined Airbnb €64 million for advertising unlicensed tourist rental homes. The platform was found to be listing over 65,122 properties that engaged in unfair commercial practices, including the promotion of unlicensed rentals. Airbnb has been ordered to remove these listings, and the fine is reportedly equivalent to six times the revenue generated from these illegal listings, according to Spain's Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda. Airbnb has stated its intention to challenge the fine in court, asserting that the ministry's actions are contrary to Spanish regulations.
In response to Spain's updated short-term rental rules implemented last July, Airbnb confirmed its cooperation with the Ministry of Housing on a new registration system.
Spain, which hosted 94 million international visitors in 2024, is intensifying its scrutiny of tourism rentals on platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com. Government officials, alongside city councils and regional authorities, argue that the proliferation of such rentals has contributed to increased housing costs and a reduced supply of homes for local residents. Consumer Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy highlighted the Airbnb fine as the second-largest imposed by the ministry for consumer rights breaches, emphasizing the impact on housing accessibility for families amidst rising costs driven by some business models.