Spanish city orders Airbnbs to install noise meters

Tourists staying in the popular Spanish destination of Seville will need to watch how much noise they’re making following a new rule.

Airbnbs and other short-stay lets will be required to install noise meters under new regional laws.

The meters will measure decibel levels to stop tourists making too much noise in the Spanish city.

In some parts of the city’s historic centre, tourist holiday homes outnumber local residences, which has angered some residents.

According to The Times, owners of tourist apartments will now be required to install noise meters.

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If tourists exceed the noise limit, the owner of the property will be informed. They will have to act or face a penalty.

José Luis Sanz, Seville’s mayor, said: “I want to reclaim the neighbourhood for the residents, making it a friendly place for residents and not, as it is now, a friendly place for tourists.”

The new mayor vowed to limit the amount of tourist accommodation in Seville and to make the historic centre habitable again.

Santa Cruz is the area most affected by tourism where six out of 10 properties are registered as holiday homes.

The law will also introduce restrictions on the number of tourists allowed to stay in a small flat in Seville.

The Spanish city has grown in popularity as a destination and attracts a huge number of tourists year round.

Despite the outrage, Seville was recently named the world’s most welcoming city for tourists booking on Airbnb.

According to research from Forbes Advisor, just five percent of potential bookings were rejected in Seville.

Munich had the highest rate of rejection with 27 percent of bookings rejected from the platform.