Global Regulatory Notes (24)
Keep a pulse on global regulatory trends. Spain fines Airbnb; Milan bans self-check-in key boxes; Halifax, Canada passes amendments; Bali, Indonesia rejects proposal; Cape Town, South Africa reviews enforcement; Brisbane, Australia schedules online meeting. READ MORE.
Spain
Spain’s Ministry of Social Rights has fined Airbnb €64 million after finding more than 65,000 illegal short-term rental listings during a nationwide investigation.
Authorities said the platform repeatedly published unlicensed or falsely registered properties and ignored official warnings, violating consumer protection laws. Airbnb has been ordered to remove the listings and publicly disclose the penalty, with additional fines imposed for obstructing the investigation.
Milan, Italy
Milan will ban self-check-in key boxes for short-term rentals starting January 2026, requiring hosts to remove devices from public-facing spaces or face fines of up to €400.
City officials cite security risks, misuse of public space, and visual clutter as key reasons for the move. Automated access is not fully prohibited, but visible lock boxes without guest identification will no longer be allowed.
Halifax, Canada
Halifax council passed provincially mandated housing planning amendments after being warned that rejecting them would leave the province in charge through an interim order.
The amendments align the municipality with minimum provincial planning requirements following the rejection of Halifax’s regional plan earlier this year. Speakers criticized the loss of environmental buffers, reduced ground-floor commercial space, and limited local decision-making.
Bali, Indonesia
Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism has rejected a proposal from the Bali Government to ban Airbnb, easing concerns across the tourism sector.
While local officials argue the platform contributes to more than 2,000 unlicensed hotels and villas, the Ministry stressed Airbnb’s importance to tourism and confirmed no plans to shut down online platforms. Instead, authorities will focus on stricter enforcement of licensing, zoning, and tax compliance.
Cape Town, South Africa
Experts argue that regulating Airbnb will not fix South Africa’s housing crisis, as short-term rentals make up less than 1% of Cape Town’s formal housing stock.
A 2024 report found Airbnb listings grew only marginally from 2020–2024 while contributing R14.4 billion to GDP and supporting 49,000 jobs. According to Sentinel Homes’ Renier Kriek, rising rents are driven by population growth and housing undersupply, not Airbnb. He says stricter regulation risks hurting tourism without improving affordability.
Brisbane, Australia
The Short Term Accommodation Association Australia (STAAA) is urging Brisbane short-term rental hosts to attend an urgent online meeting over concerns with the city’s proposed Short Stay Accommodation Local Law.
STAAA says the draft rules could effectively block many everyday hosts, small operators, and even compliant high-density rentals from obtaining permits. The association will outline key issues, its policy position, and next steps for industry advocacy. The Zoom meeting is scheduled for Dec. 18 at 5:30 p.m. AEST.
🐦 Tweet Highlights: Catch the latest discussions on X
Italy’s top court backs Tuscany’s tourism law, confirming regional powers to limit short-term rentals — a decision hailed by Florence’s mayor as key to sustainable tourism.https://t.co/ucxzr8loAq pic.twitter.com/AiTRx1NXwU
— Florence Daily News (@newsflorence) December 17, 2025
Greece unveils housing measures to boost supply, curb short-term rentals https://t.co/CcrbFoEz02 pic.twitter.com/lpHy3knoZM
— Kathimerini English Edition (@ekathimerini) December 17, 2025
The European Commission unveiled its first-ever Affordable Housing Plan, setting out a roadmap for tackling the bloc-wide housing crisis.https://t.co/7rBytdrOcA
— POLITICOEurope (@POLITICOEurope) December 16, 2025
EU confirms more rules targeting Airbnb and short-term rentals https://t.co/3nH1oMZkQQ pic.twitter.com/2aexFFzXJC
— Euractiv (@Euractiv) December 16, 2025
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