Spain's Supreme Court has struck down a national registry for short-term tourist ​rentals seeking to advertise on platforms such as ‌Airbnb, opens new tab that was introduced by the coalition government last July.

Reuters – Spain's government has been ‌seeking ⁠ways to curb short-term tourist rentals in the world's second-most visited country after France, where nearly a third of visitors opt to ​stay in ​apartments rather ⁠than hotels.

The national registry for short-term stays ​required property owners to register and obtain ⁠a number before listing on platforms such ​as Airbnb. Several regional governments challenged the measure, arguing ​the central government overstepped its powers.

The Supreme Court agreed, ruling the state lacked authority to impose a ​national registry on top of similar ones ​that already existed at the regional level.