Airbnb Boom Pushes Spaniards Out of Suburbs
Rising tourist rentals force residents to relocate further from city centers.
gentrification driven by Airbnb-style rentals is no longer confined to city centers in Spain. Working-class neighborhoods on the outskirts of major cities are now feeling the squeeze, as residents are priced out and forced to seek housing even further away.
Gentrification Spreads to the Outskirts
Despite increased regulations, short-term tourist rentals remain highly profitable in Spain. Officially,tourist lets account for just over 1.5 percent of Spanish properties, but this figure excludes unlicensed rentals, which are widespread.
Neighborhood associations report that residents are being displaced not only from central areas but also from outlying neighborhoods. The lower prices of tourist apartments in these areas attract budget-conscious travelers.
Madrid Grapples with “Expulsion Plan”
In Madrid,locals are advocating for the extension of tourist apartment restrictions to the entire city,not just the central zones. Neighborhoods like Tetuán, Puerta del Ángel, San Lorenzo, and Puente de Vallecas are particularly affected.
The mayorS new Plan Reside has been criticized and sarcastically renamed Plan expels (Expulsion Plan) or Plan speculates (Speculate Plan). The Socialist opposition claims that investment firms have recently purchased over 30 buildings in Puerta del Ángel to convert them into tourist apartments.
READ ALSO: How Madrid plans to split city in two to regulate holiday lets
Valencia Faces Unsustainable Growth
In Sant Antoni,a neighborhood near Valencia,the proliferation of tourist apartments could increase the area’s population by five percent,according to council estimates. Ximo Muñoz, a member of the neighborhood association, believes that the area will struggle to sustain such rapid growth.
The problem extends to nearby towns like Manises and Quart de Poblet, where prices have risen by 42 percent in two years, and Burjassot and Mislata, where housing is now 45 percent more expensive.
Málaga Sees Mass Exodus
Málaga is experiencing a similar situation, with neighborhoods outside the city center now hosting stag and hen parties, constant noise from suitcases, and late-night revelry. Data from Málaga city hall indicates that 37,000 locals have left the city in the past five years, primarily due to unaffordable housing.
Illegal Rentals Exacerbate the Crisis
residents who moved to the outskirts to find cheaper housing are now being pushed even further out as gentrification expands. The demand for long-term rentals and properties in these neighborhoods far exceeds the supply,with tourist lets playing a important role.
Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs recently ordered Airbnb to remove 65,935 illegal tourist let ads from its website.
A 2024 report from Madrid Town Hall revealed over 15,200 illegal tourist rentals in the city. In the Andalusian province of Málaga, there are 43,366 illegal tourist homes, representing over half of the 85,000 illegally advertised apartments in Andalusia, according to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
The local government in Valencia estimates that the vast majority of the city’s 12,000 tourist apartments are illegal. To address the issue, Barcelona’s mayor has announced plans to ban all tourist rental flats by 2028.
