Barcelona authorities announced Thursday they had fined Airbnb and Homeaway 600,000 euros ($633,600) each for advertising and renting out apartments to tourists illegally. The overdose of tourism (more than 27 millions a year) and the exponential rise in apartment rentals have become main issues for Barcelona locals, who complain that the city is losing its soul. The new Mayor of the city, Ada Colau, has launched a campaign to crackdown on unregulated tourism in the city and other platforms that offer rental apartments without a license, “without paying tax ad at the peril of neighboring residents," Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau told reporters.

As reported in the English edition of Deutsche Welle.