In Mallorca, authorities from the Consell de Mallorca have issued a 125,000 euro fine to Airbnb for listing properties in Palma that were used for tourist rentals in a manner forbidden by local rules. The platform faced scrutiny as part of a broader effort to curb illegal tourist housing within the city.
The Consell announced that the sanction would be suspended on the upcoming Saturday after further review. The move comes as part of a larger enforcement drive targeting information society companies that fail to comply with regional regulations governing short-term accommodations.
Since November, the Consell’s Tourist Inspection Service has asked Airbnb and Expedia to remove listings identified as illegal. To date, inspectors have flagged 200 tourist housing posts that do not meet current regulatory requirements.
Expedia has cooperated by removing advertisements for properties offered for less than a month for tourist purposes, noting that such listings were not aligned with prevailing regulations.
Airbnb did not remove these posts, which led to the opening of a disciplinary case under the law regulating information society companies. Sanctions in this framework can range from 125,000 to 400,000 euros, reflecting the seriousness of noncompliance within the sector.
The Consell de Mallorca has underscored its ongoing commitment to identify and remove illegal vacation rentals across other digital platforms operating in Palma as part of a comprehensive plan to combat unlawful tourist housing.
Historically, Palma prohibited tourist rentals in multi-family buildings across the municipal area, a policy that the Supreme Court reaffirmed last February. The city administration views the crackdown on illegal tourist hires in multi-family structures as a priority in its broader strategy for sustainable tourism management.
In a formal statement, the Transition, Tourism and Sports Department outlined a special enforcement plan launched at the start of the year, backed by a budget of 700,000 euros. The plan includes measures to curb illegal offers by expanding oversight of the market for multi-family tourist homes in Palma and by adding five new inspectors in April.
Key elements of the initiative involve coordinated actions with the Palma Local Police, extended inspection hours, and cooperation with higher education and research bodies such as the University of the Balearic Islands and the Sustainable Tourism Observatory of Mallorca. The aim is to identify and assess multi-family tourist rentals in Palma and to monitor how marketing platforms present these listings, ensuring they comply with regulations and protect the local housing stock.