Illegal Vacation Rentals: Madrid Removes Over 2,300 Listings from Portals

Several Thousand Listings Disappear from the Platforms

In the morning, as I passed the La Seu Cathedral and photographed the scaffolding, the topic was already on everyone's lips: Madrid has activated a central registry and is urging online platforms to remove holiday apartments that are not properly registered from circulation. According to information from the regional administration, more than 2,300 listings on the Balearic Islands are affected.

Why this is suddenly working

The idea behind it is simple: Only properties with a valid registration number may be advertised. Platforms such as Airbnb and Booking were asked to remove listings without this number. In practice, that means many listings disappear temporarily — sometimes justified, sometimes frustrating for owners.

Politics across party lines: The notable thing in this round is that regional conservatives and Social Democrats are at least aligning on this point. It is not often you see such an agreement; here political interests align with street pressure. Residents complain about noise, empty rental units, and crowded hallways. This creates pressure that will eventually have an effect.

The landlords' reaction

At the same time, warnings are pouring in from the industry. Representatives say: Many of our members have the license, but they will only receive the new registration number later due to paperwork, verifications, or IT problems. In other words, collateral damage is at stake. It's a bit like waste collection: when the system isn't running smoothly, useful things pile up.

The regional government itself concedes that the central registry still needs adjustment. But it also emphasizes that since 2023 tax funds and inspections have been expanded. On the island, the number of inspections has risen significantly — some officials even speak of a tripling compared with the previous period.

What this means for residents and tenants

For locals this could be a small glimmer of hope. Housing is scarce, especially in Palma and the resort towns. Fewer visually obvious holiday apartments on every corner could mean that three-, four-, or five-member families have a chance at a permanent place to live again. Whether that will come to pass remains to be seen.

And yes: the question of fairness remains. Those who comply with the rules do not want to suffer next to cheaters. Those whose listings suddenly disappear from platforms will be angry. The coming weeks will show how precise the checks are — and whether portals will work faster in the future when the island police calls.

I will accompany the round tables and the announced talks with platforms in the coming days — not in fancy conference rooms, but at the bar of a small cafe in Santa Catalina. Because that's where you learn what really annoys and what is just bureaucracy.