Airbnb undertakes to remove ads that manifestly contravene the regulations and initially this agreement has involved the removal of more than 130 ads identified by the island institution.
The Consell de Mallorca and Airbnb have closed this Friday an agreement that will speed up the process of removing manifestly irregular ads from the platform and promote a more responsible and respectful tourism with the island. As part of this collaboration, Airbnb has launched a new tool that will facilitate the adoption of the registration requirements established by the new European regulations and has committed to remove ads that manifestly do not comply with local regulations.
The agreement took place between the president of the Consell de Mallorca, Llorenç Galmés, who was accompanied by the councilor of Tourism, José Marcial Rodríguez Díaz, and the insular director of Tourism for Supply and Quality, Clara del Moral, and the general director of Airbnb Marketing Services, SL, Jaime Rodríguez de Santiago, who signed this collaboration agreement with the aim of continuing to take steps in this direction together.
Protocol to accelerate the removal of ads that violate the regulations
The agreement between the Consell de Mallorca and Airbnb establishes a collaborative framework to expedite the removal of ads for tourist accommodations that clearly violate local regulations (such as tents, campers or yurts) as well as Airbnb's terms of service. In this way, the platform will facilitate the quick and effective removal of ads that manifestly do not comply with local regulations.
The initiative is part of the “ad notification and deactivation protocol” developed by Airbnb, which establishes a clear and effective procedure for removing accommodation offers that have been identified by the authorities as being manifestly contrary to local regulations and Airbnb's terms of service.
In this sense, at first this agreement has meant the elimination of more than 130 ads identified by the Consell de Mallorca.
Mandatory registration for new short term rental ads
In addition, as of June 23rd, Airbnb will make it mandatory for any new short term rental ad in Mallorca that is advertised on the platform to display a registration number. In order to facilitate the inspection and identification work of the competent authorities and to promote transparency, the system will only accept a certain format for the registration or license number and will make it impossible, from now on, for a short term ad without a registration number to be advertised on Airbnb.
At the same time, Airbnb will launch an educational campaign aimed at the host community in Mallorca. This campaign will especially emphasize the new European regulations and the registration and licensing requirements, which will be mandatory in Spain according to the new legislative context.
The president of the Consell de Mallorca, Llorenç Galmés, said after the signing that "from the Consell de Mallorca, we will continue working with determination to ensure that the tourism we receive is compatible with the quality of life of residents, the protection of the territory and the current regulations. And this agreement with Airbnb is a firm step in this direction that adds to the comprehensive plan that is allowing us to increase the number of inspections and sanctions and reduce waiting times in the processing of cases.
Jaime Rodriguez de Santiago, CEO of Airbnb Marketing Services, SL said: "This collaboration agreement between Airbnb and the Consell de Mallorca is a fundamental step forward in the implementation of the new European framework for short-term rentals. It also exemplifies Airbnb's efforts to strengthen its collaboration with cities and governments in Spain, with the aim of ensuring that the transition to the new EU regulations is successful for all."
This new milestone adds to Airbnb's recent partnerships with the Island Council of Ibiza, the Government of the Canary Islands and the Region of Murcia to promote similar initiatives, and highlights the platform's commitment to partnering with cities and governments across Spain to promote sustainable tourism that benefits all stakeholders equally.