A new wave of the battle for affordable housing has erupted in Madrid: more than 230 key boxes for tourist apartments linked to Airbnb have been damaged and spray-painted with anti-tourist rental slogans. This incident has sent a clear message to authorities and investors: residents’ patience is running out, and the clash between business interests and the needs of locals is reaching a new level.
The protest took place in areas where the housing market feels particularly strained: Centro, Vallecas, Carabanchel, La Latina, Tetúan, and Prosperidad. In recent years, the number of permanent residents in these neighborhoods has noticeably declined, while more apartments are being rented out to tourists. Key boxes, which allow guests to access rentals without meeting the owner in person, have become a symbol of residential buildings turning into hotels. Their widespread appearance on building facades frustrates locals, as they visibly illustrate how everyday life is giving way to streams of tourists.
Housing under pressure
Over the past decade, Madrid’s historic districts have changed dramatically. Many streets now look more like logistics hubs for tourists than residential areas. Local shops and schools are losing customers, replaced by souvenir stores and services for visitors. According to russpain.com, more than 9 million foreign tourists arrived in the region in 2025—a record number. Against this backdrop, rents have risen by almost 40% in four years, while salaries have gone up by only 14%. More and more families are forced to spend half of their income just on housing.
Airbnb and other platforms have become key players in this process. Thousands of apartments have left the long-term rental market and are now offered as short-term rentals, often without licenses and without complying with standards. In some central neighborhoods, up to half of all apartments are rented out to tourists, with owners managing dozens or even hundreds of properties. The ‘sharing economy’ model doesn’t work here: the market is controlled by large investors, not ordinary residents.
Authorities’ response
In response to growing discontent, authorities have increased pressure on Airbnb. The Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and the 2030 Agenda, led by Pablo Bustinduy, recently fined the platform 64 million euros for posting illegal listings and providing false information about hosts. In addition to the fine, the company was ordered to remove all unlawful listings and publish information about the sanction. However, residents believe these measures are insufficient: they demand that neighborhoods regain their social function and call for limits to prevent homes from being turned into hotels.
Since July 2025, Spain has operated a Single Rental Registry for short-term lets. Now, all apartments offered online must have an official registration number. Violations carry fines ranging from 10,000 to one million euros, and regions and municipalities have the authority to introduce their own restrictions and no-rental zones for tourist accommodations.
A city under pressure
The conflict between tourism and housing rights is a common issue in many cities around the world, but in Spain it is particularly acute. In Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Malaga, and Valencia, the surge in short-term rentals is pushing out local residents, disrupting established infrastructure, and changing the character of neighborhoods. Experts and activists agree: the problem is not tourism itself, but the business model that turns housing into a tool for profit at the expense of city dwellers. Key safes, fines, and new registries are just part of the struggle, but it is grassroots pressure that has the real power to change the situation.
In recent years, Airbnb has repeatedly come under fire and faced protests in various countries. In 2023, similar demonstrations took place in Barcelona and Lisbon, where residents also demanded restrictions on tourist rentals and the return of apartments to the long-term market. Despite companies’ attempts to adapt to new regulations, the conflict between business interests and residents’ needs continues to escalate, forcing authorities to seek a balance between tourism development and protecting local housing rights.
