Alquiler Seguro reports vandalism at 27 offices as Madrid union picket precedes strike

Vandalism claims across the network

Alquiler Seguro said on Tuesday, 10 November, that 27 of its 63 offices in Spain had been vandalized, with incidents occurring between Monday afternoon and Tuesday. Earlier reports carried different counts: ABC Tu Diario en Español first cited up to 25 offices, and El Mundo, citing the company, reported 27 of 61 centers. The affected offices are in Madrid, Barcelona, A Coruña, Vitoria, Bilbao and Oviedo, with most incidents concentrated in Madrid. According to the company, the attacks included graffiti, posters covering shop windows and locks sealed with silicone, and some employees were threatened. El Mundo reported that the company had not yet passed the matter to the police or identified anyone behind the actions.

The union's denial

The Sindicato de Inquilinas, one of the organizers of the general strike on Wednesday, 11 November, denies carrying out the attacks. The union said it had not claimed any action of that kind, while describing the vandalism as part of recent weeks of strong mobilization. In its account to El Mundo, the union said it had organized nothing the previous night and that the strike had outgrown all the organizations. It added:

“What people do with the anger built up over years of abuse by Alquiler Seguro is another matter.”

Alquiler Seguro, for its part, says the union has repeatedly singled it out in public and has said it wants the company to close. The company condemns the actions as unacceptable.

Occupation of the Madrid office

On Tuesday, 10 November, after 19:00, dozens of people entered the company's Madrid office at number 18 of Avenida de América, an action the union had kept secret until it happened, according to eldiario.es. Participants shouted slogans such as 'Alquiler Seguro is robbing us of our future' and handed out leaflets calling for a strike. They met no special security measures, and inside were a female receptionist, a male cleaner and a small group of office staff. The union posted a video of the picket on X and Instagram, and its statement read:

“Today there was a picket at the Alquiler Seguro headquarters to denounce its mafia-like practices.”

The union's spokesperson, Alicia del Río, said the company acts as the CEOE's spokesperson on housing and addressed the people inside through a megaphone:

“Among all of them, there is one that is the worst of all, and it is called Alquiler Seguro.”

According to eldiario.es, police arrived and kept the participants inside until they handed over their documents, after which they were held on an adjoining pavement for about another half hour. The union said police had kept people in the building, a claim El País also reported.

Strike and company response

The general strike for the right to decent housing takes place on Wednesday, 11 November, and the housing crisis is one of its main focuses, according to eldiario.es. Alquiler Seguro says it will open all its offices with full normality that day. It has asked employees who do not join the strike to go to their posts, and it hopes no new vandalism will occur. The company also said it remains alert to new attacks and to threats against its workers, according to ABC Tu Diario en Español.