| There is concern in some quarters that second | | | | By renting a second home out as a holiday home |
| homes have a negative impact on the economy | | | | for part of the year, when it is not in use by the |
| of rural communities. In some parts of the UK, | | | | owner's family, it ensures that money is brought |
| local strength of feeling about this has occasionally | | | | into the local economy as the family renting the |
| erupted into arson, for example, with a number | | | | holiday home will inevitably spend money in the |
| of second homes being burned down in Wales. | | | | local shops, restaurants and at local attractions. |
| The main issues that create controversy are | | | | This is clearly a positive impact on the local |
| twofold. Firstly, there is the argument that second | | | | economy and far better for the local community |
| home owners drive up prices in rural areas, | | | | than having a second home stand empty. |
| pushing them out of the reach of local people and | | | | Yet many owners of second homes resist renting |
| exacerbating the problem that there is not | | | | out their home to holidaymakers. |
| enough affordable housing for low income local | | | | There are a wide variety of reasons for this. It is |
| families. This is clearly an area that needs a | | | | often not as simple as whether or not the owner |
| balanced approach and well thought out strategy | | | | of a second home would like to make a profitable |
| to help solve this very real issue. | | | | return on their property. |
| The second common concern is that second | | | | Some second home owners simply do not want |
| houses are unoccupied for a large part of the | | | | strangers in their home and this is a strongly felt |
| year and this deprives local businesses of potential | | | | emotion they are not likely to overcome. |
| custom, sometimes badly affecting their viability. | | | | Others do not want to get involved in what they |
| Another aspect of this is that local schools can | | | | see as complex property management issues, |
| become short of children, sometimes forcing local | | | | involving a lot of work and practical difficulty. For |
| schools to close. Indeed, on some areas very | | | | these owners, the answer is often to hire a |
| popular with second home owners, the area can | | | | holiday homes services specialist that can take |
| feel like a ghost town out of season, without the | | | | away the hassle and arrange everything on their |
| community vitality and vibrant local economy that | | | | behalf, making the whole process of renting out a |
| characterises some other rural areas. | | | | holiday home very straightforward. |
| The problems seem to be focused on highly | | | | If a holiday homes services specialist is engaged, |
| localised rural and coastal areas, the kind of | | | | they can arrange all aspects of property |
| attractive areas that are popular for second | | | | management, cleaning services and key holder |
| homes. For example, in North Cornwall, one in | | | | services as well as sometimes a holiday concierge |
| three properties is thought to be a second home | | | | service. This means that the second home owner |
| or holiday home, | | | | can benefit from a stream of income from the |
| In general, the more remote rural areas have the | | | | property, all the gain without the pain. |
| greatest concentrations of second homes as a | | | | In addition, the impact on the local economy is |
| proportion of all the housing stock, intensifying the | | | | positive as the holiday home rentals bring money |
| problem of creating a sustainable and robust local | | | | into the local shops, restaurants and attractions as |
| community with a thriving local economy.. | | | | well as necessitating the employment of local |
| Although second and holiday homes contribute to | | | | trades people, such as plumbers, electricians, |
| an uplift in property prices in rural areas, it is | | | | painters and carpenters. |
| important not to view their economic impact in | | | | . |
| isolation from other factors contributing to | | | | The impacts, both positive and negative, of |
| changes within rural communities and especially | | | | second homes and holiday homes touch on a |
| pressures on local housing markets from other | | | | diverse range of factors that affect the |
| groups such as commuters, retirees, or people | | | | sustainability of rural communities. |
| wanting a lifestyle change. | | | | One thing is clear - renting out a second home as |
| One way that second home owners can help | | | | a holiday home has a more positive impact on the |
| avoid any negative economic impacts on the local | | | | local economy than leaving it standing empty for |
| community is to maximise the extent to which | | | | long periods. |
| the second home does not stand empty. | | | | |