MADRID, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Thousands protested on Sunday

in Madrid to demand more affordable housing amid rising anger

from Spaniards who feel they are being priced out of the market.

Under the slogan "Housing is a right, not a business",

residents marched in the Spanish capital to demand lower housing

rental prices and better living conditions.

Twelve thousand people took to the streets, according to the

Spanish government.

"Spaniards cannot live in their own cities. They are forcing

us out of the cities. The government has to regulate prices,

regulate housing," said nurse Blanca Prieto, 33.

In July, Spain's government announced a crackdown on

short-term and seasonal holiday lettings. It plans to

investigate listings on platforms such as Airbnb ( ABNB ) and

Booking.com to verify if they have licences.

Spain is struggling to balance promoting tourism, a key

driver of its economy, and addressing citizens' concerns over

unaffordably high rents due to gentrification and landlords

shifting to more lucrative tourist rentals.

In a separate demonstration in Barcelona on Sunday against

the America's Cup yachting race, protesters blamed the

international sporting event for pushing up rental prices and

bringing more tourists into an overcrowded city.

Residents of the Canary Islands and Malaga have also staged

protests this year against the rise in tourist rentals. Seasonal

hospitality workers struggle to find accommodation in these

tourism hot spots, with many resorting to sleeping in caravans

or even their cars.