Airbnb to Appeal New Orleans Ruling, Expands Compliance Push in Spain, Key Data Launches New Tools in the UK

Airbnb to Appeal Court Ruling Upholding New Orleans’ Strict Rental Laws

• A federal judge has upheld New Orleans’ strict short-term rental (STR) laws, dismissing a lawsuit filed by Airbnb and a group of local hosts.
• In the ruling, Judge Jay Zainey stated that “there is no fundamental right to rent out residential property on a short-term basis,” affirming the city’s power to regulate platforms and require verification of STR permits before a listing can be booked.
• The lawsuit, originally filed in 2023, challenged New Orleans’ updated STR regulations, which created tighter restrictions on non-commercial rentals and included a platform verification requirement. 
• Airbnb and co-plaintiffs argued that the city’s rules violated constitutional rights and federal law, including the Communications Decency Act.
• The decision was also welcomed by local housing advocates, including the Jane Place Neighborhood Sustainability Initiative, who cited ongoing issues such as trash, noise, and illegal listings in support of maintaining the city’s STR limits.
• On the other side of the debate, STR advocate and property manager Eric Bay expressed concern that the ruling overreaches and called for clear, concise, legal guidelines. 
• Airbnb has confirmed it will appeal the decision. However, the appeal is still in its early stages, as the court only recently certified its decision.

Snigdha’s Views

• This ruling is not just a blow to Airbnb’s legal challenge; it strengthens New Orleans’ ability to enforce its STR rules on the ground. 
• That could mean more listing takedowns by Airbnb, penalties for violations, and audits of STR activity. For operators, it signals a stricter regulatory environment, one where even small non-compliance issues might be met with real consequences.
• Airbnb has tried the economic angle, too. In June, it released an Oxford Economics report estimating that STR restrictions have cost New Orleans up to 3.2 million guest-nights, hurting recovery. 
• But as we’ve seen in cities like New York against Local Law 18, when lobbying doesn’t stick, the courtroom becomes the next battleground.
• That said, platforms can only go so far. Property managers can’t rely on Airbnb to shield them from enforcement. Ultimately, compliance is your responsibility.

Airbnb Scales Up Its Compliance Push Across Spain With Government Backing

• Airbnb says that the vast majority of its listings in Spain now display valid national registration numbers, following a major compliance initiative launched in collaboration with Spain’s Ministry of Housing in July 2025.
• The company reports that over 70,000 listings have added registration numbers since January, attributing the increase to host education, automated reminders rolled out with the Ministry’s backing.
• Alongside this, Airbnb has begun removing active listings associated with revoked registration numbers. 
• Notably, the company says that less than 10% of those revoked registrations belonged to Airbnb listings, providing context on its share of the non-compliant inventory.
• Airbnb emphasized that this registration drive has not negatively impacted demand, stating that guests prefer registered properties and that compliance contributes to quality assurance.
• Airbnb reiterated its support for industry-wide transparency, encouraging other platforms to adopt similar compliance and registration efforts. 
• Airbnb also noted, 177% increase in family bookings in rural areas of Spain since 2019, and nearly 60% of Airbnb overnight stays in the EU in 2024 occurred outside of urban areas.

Snigdha’s Views

• This isn’t a sudden pivot, it’s the latest move in Airbnb’s ongoing play to show Spanish authorities that it’s serious about compliance.
• From Ibiza, where it’s helping local councils monitor illegal listings, to Murcia, where it’s blocking non-compliant properties, Airbnb has been building credibility region by region. 
• Now, with the Ministry of Housing’s backing, it’s rolling out compliance tools at the national level, and framing that effort as a win for both guests and the market.
• For property managers, unregistered listings aren’t just at risk of fines; they may be delisted entirely, especially if platforms move toward real-time verification and automatic takedowns.
• By showing that things are under control across most of Spain, Airbnb may be aiming to signal that Barcelona’s planned 2028 ban is an outlier, if not an overreaction.

Key Data Adds New Tools as UK Autumn Trends Show Mixed Signals

• Short-term rental analytics platform Key Data has released its September 2025 UK Index Report, drawing on performance data from 85,000 rentals, 2,000 property managers, and partnerships with the STAA, PASC, and ASSC. 
• The report presents a nuanced picture of autumn performance: while Average Daily Rates (ADR) are climbing, forward bookings are pacing behind last year, and guests are waiting longer to book.
• Compared to 2024, September bookings are down 5%, November is down 3%, while October is up 2%. 
• At the same time, ADR has risen across the board, with November averaging £159, a 7% year-over-year increase. October and September have also seen modest ADR gains.
•  The impact on RevPAR is more mixed, with September down 1%, October up 7%, and November up 4%.
• The data also confirms that guests are booking closer to check-in. Lead times have dropped 6% in September, 4% in October, and 4% in November, compared to the same period last year. 
• In response, Key Data has introduced two new UK-specific tools: Enhanced Benchmarking, which lets operators compare stay lengths, source markets, and booking windows against market-wide trends, not just revenue.
• Also Rental Projections, which uses historical data to estimate revenue at the property level. 

About Key Data Dashboard:
Key Data Dashboard is a business intelligence platform tailored to the vacation rental industry. It delivers real-time insights into key metrics such as occupancy, average daily rate (ADR), and revenue per available room (RevPAR, etc. The platform allows property managers to benchmark their performance against competitors and identify trends in local and regional markets.

Snigdha’s Views

• Based on the report, guests are booking closer to check-in, which means calendars often look emptier than they really are. That uncertainty makes it harder for property managers to plan pricing strategies or confidently communicate with owners.
• Shorter lead times, more last-minute decisions, and greater price sensitivity are becoming the new normal. This affects performance, and also changes how we measure it.
• Key Data’s new tools can help bring structure to that uncertainty. Enhanced Benchmarking can give managers a clearer sense of how their booking windows, source markets, and guest behavior compare. 
• Rental Projections can offer a revenue outlook at the individual property level, useful for managing owner expectations.
• These tools work best when combined with local insights and real-time observation.
• While the report is UK-specific, the trend is global: rising rates and shorter booking windows are making it harder to read demand. Managers need new ways to measure performance beyond just rates or occupancy.