Ibiza BANS Airbnb rentals

The city council on the Spanish island of Ibiza has banned anyone from renting their properties using Airbnb’s popular online marketplace for short-term stays.

The ban encompasses everything from a studio apartment to a luxurious villa and has been put in place in preparation for what is expected to be another busy summer season.

The council claims that the high prices being paid on Airbnb forces both locals and seasonal workers to either overcrowd small apartments or sleep in their cars.

Ibiza Town councillor, Vicente Torres, said: “The relatively recent arrival of online platforms has already created an unsustainable situation.

“What we saw in summer 2017 was not positive for anybody, therefore we want to see rented accommodation priced for long-term residents, not short-term tourists.”

In response to Ibiza’s ban, Airbnb hit back by saying: “Airbnb accounts for less than 5% of visitors to Ibiza and boosts the Balearics economy by more than half a billion euros – money that typically stays with local families and business.”

So far the ban has not deterred people from renting out their homes, but now with heavy fines in place the council aims to get tough.

Mr Torres added: “We have several ongoing cases against property owners and we will take this issue very seriously because we finally have the framework in place to punish marketers.“

He added: “The problem will not be solved in a year and I fear that we will again see lots of people living in poor-quality tourist flats or living out of cars because of soaring rent prices this summer.”