In Biarritz, tourists have to make room for locals. This is the message of the last measure of the Basque elected officials, reports the Guardian. With “its elegant shops and its golden sand beaches”, the city is a popular destination for vacationers, but this tourism leads local residents to struggle to find housing.
In the Basque Country as a whole, the number of holiday homes “was 16 500 in 2020, more than double than in 2016”, explains the British newspaper. This month, local elected officials therefore took strong action to fight against the development of Airbnb and furnished tourist accommodation in 24 municipalities in the region, including Biarritz.
From June, the owners of a second home who would like to transform it into furnished tourist accommodation will be forced, in return, to also offer non-tourist accommodation for rental. “As many landlords will struggle to find and buy a third property that meets the criteria, advocates of this new order hope to see thousands of homes return to the rental market. [longue durée].”
At present, for the mayor of Biarritz, Maider Arosteguy, the situation is “untenable”, especially for young people and middle earners – people like Charlotte Belot, interviewed by the Guardian, who, at 27, had no choice but between a roommate and returning to her parents, because she could not find affordable housing.
“The Basque Country is not the first region in France to restrict the development of Airbnb and other similar platforms”, writes the British daily. In some cities, primary residences cannot be rented for more than 120 days per year. This new measure is however controversial, specifies the Guardian, who wonders “whether these measures will harm or improve tourism, protecting housing and local identity”.