On Friday, members of the Alda movement entered a tourist house in Biarritz, where they rented their home for 24 hours via the Airbnb platform. They have occupied the house and will remain in it at least until Tuesday, when the collapse is expected to take place. The movement has denounced that the announcement it has on the Airbnb platform is illegal, as the registration number does not appear. Tourist apartments have been required by law since 2017 to have a registration number and in case of failure they could be fined with 12,500 euros.

Alda has warned that the Airbnb violates the law "repeatedly and à la carte". The fact of having to show the registration number facilitates the identification of unregistered tourist dwellings, but the movement denounces that companies choose not to show them. They have therefore asked the Biarritz City Hall to file a complaint against Airbnb. Otherwise, Alda has announced that he will occupy the apartment for six months, as the cost of renting this section would be 12,500 euros.

Available to the authorities

On Tuesday, at 13:00, a meeting will be held between the members of Alda to decide what to do. They explain that it is in the hands of the authorities and the owner that they may or may not stay at home. According to social media reports, on Saturday, the mayor of Biarritz and urban assistant Maud Cascino met with the activists and held a “long and constructive” debate. Cascino undertook to organise “as soon as possible” a meeting between the City Council of Biarritz and Alda.

Sample of the housing crisis

The movement considers that "it is no coincidence" that the housing they have occupied is in Puerto Viejo. It is one of the most expensive areas of the city, located at the height of the occupied apartment and which was sold to 40,000 euros a square meter in 2020. Alda says that Biarritz symbolizes the inability to live and rent in Iparralde. Some data stand out: In Biarritz and San Juan de Luz, the square meter is sold at a price of 7,000 euros. Only 1% of the local population can buy the product. In this case, which has worsened in recent years, they have called for a demonstration in Baiona on 20 November in favour of the right to housing.