After weeks of negotiation, Airbnb has come to an agreement with Barcelona City Council to remove all apartments that don't comply with licensing requirements. After meeting on Wednesday with city representatives, the head of public policy initiatives from Airbnb Spain, Sergio Vinay, confirmed that the company will now act quickly to remove illegal listings flagged by the Ajuntament.
The company was determined to put this dispute behind it, stating that despite the problem of illegal rentals, it believes home-sharing is essential for many law-abiding Barcelona families and should be defended. After an uneasy relationship, in which Airbnb was fined numerous times over the years, the Ajuntament seemed pleased with the company's new attitude of compliance and has provided a list of more illegal properties in the city that it hopes Airbnb will shut down.