To think that owning a second home to use as a holiday home is extremely selfish?

[benadrylcucumberpatch]

It would be a different story if there was a surplus of vacant properties . As it stands holiday home owners turn communities into ghost towns, inflate prices in desirable areas (many of which are rural with low wages) and displace people who would live in the property full time.

Aibu to think this is selfish and reprehensible? Why are such people not villified for taking more than they need in such an extreme way?

Will never be in the position to be able to but I have no problem with people buying a second home provided that it has over 90% (ish)occupancy throughout the year so the local economy benefits from the additional tourism.

In my opinion, those homes that are left empty except for two weeks in summer are morally and ethically wrong, whatever the (rich) person's reason for buying it.

Looneytune253

I know that areas in the north are pretty and I am not saying they're not. Im talking about the areas that are considered pretty and desirable as holiday home areas, so caste swathes of the south. The north east is (correct me if I'm wrong) not a popular area for holiday homes even if it is beautiful.

And I'mnot throwing shade in the north east by not wanting to live there, I don't want to live there not because I personally find it undesirable but because I have no friends family or community there.

as the holiday home is also an investment and a way to finance your pension, YABU.

In a country where it's fine for the royal family to own countless private castles, land and properties, targeting families who are working hard to afford a 2nd property is going for the wrong target.

would letting your holiday home when you are not using it really free some properties for the locals? I doubt it anyway.

Its all come about because of the rise in property prices. people see property as an investment, a retirement nest egg, they have stopped seeing properties as places where people live. If you own a second home then you should be paying council tax at 200 or 300%, It would come to a massive and abrupt halt if prices went down.

I personally find it undesirable but because I have no friends family or community there

Well I have to move to anexpensive area with no family or friend community because that's the only place I could find a job, so I am keeping my holiday home thank you very much!

What about abroad? There's a glut of dilapidated houses across France (have you ever seen Escape to the Chateau?) which the French don't want to touch with a barge pole. Therefore you have lots of English buying them up, doing them up and renting them as holiday homes. This benefits the local economy in France (lots of visitors using local facilities and services), the houses are renovated and the owners are happy.

Another disgruntled Geordie here

I'm with you OP.

Commuters and holiday homers have pushed prices up here. My kids can't afford the smallest place. They want to stay in the locality but all the villages are massively expensive. I own but couldn't afford to buy here if i had to now!

We have a holiday home.

We use it all the time, we have young children and use it for all the school holidays, plus some weekends. We don't let it as a holiday let but we let family use it whenever they wish.

The area it is in doesn't have many vacant homes that I'm aware of, and we've never experienced any negativity. We pay full council tax on it. Prior to that, as a PP said, we used to rent holiday cottages throughout the UK (often with dogs), and that was someone's second home!

I know there's huge negativity on here towards second homes, but this suits our family whilst the children are young. As soon as they are more reluctant to go, we will sell it.(hopefully not for a long time yet).

We are in the north, by the way 😀

WhenOneFacePalmDoesntCutIt

Face palm indeed... Where is the logic in that? Like.... What...!?

My ex mil and her parents owned an insane amount of holiday lets in north wales. Homes that would normally be rented out at say £500 pm but they rent them for holiday lets at £1000 pw (summer rate)

These are normal family homes and it's immoral

Never rented a holiday home then @benadrylcucumberpatch?

If you own a second home then you should be paying council tax at 200 or 300%

At least the govt have made a start by introducing the higher stamp duty rates on second home purchases. Just a start, but hopefully will maybe have an impact.

But, yes, there should also be a hefty council tax penalty on homes that aren't permanently lived in. Something like you say, 200/300% if there's no one on the electoral roll at the address.

As the other poster mentioned small business rate relief - yes, why should a holiday let be exempt - it was designed for the small shops etc who are suffering, not a business like holiday letting which is thriving. They should bring in restrictions so that the relief is only available to certain kinds of business, i.e. retail, workshops, etc where it's really needed.

We all make choices. I made mine, which means I can afford a second home. Other people make theirs, which may mean they can’t afford to buy a house. I don’t have any problem with being thought selfish, I suspect it to be entirely true. But other people’s kids being able to afford to live close to where they grew up isn’t my responsibility, it’s for their parents to think about and plan financially for.

you should be paying council tax at 200 or 300%,

what a ridiculous idea

More realistically, I agree that all properties should be subject to council tax, and anyone should pay.
Pretty sure I am not charged any tourist tax when I stay somewhere in the UK (maybe I should have been? but I wasn't) whilst I am when I stay abroad.

You are right op. But there are a lot of selfish people and they are all convinced they are perfectly reasonable.

Never rented a holiday home then

I think holiday lets are different as there is usually people living in them for several months of the year (i.e. in the season and school holidays etc). Those people are highly unlikely to bring all their own supplies - they'll be using local shops, local pubs/restaurants, etc, and the owners are probably using local cleaning/laundry firms, local tradespeople etc. They do have the probability of bringing money and trade to the area.

It's the holiday homes where the owners rock up for a couple of weeks, bring a car full of groceries from Asda on the way, etc., and leave it empty for the other 50 weeks who are the real problem.

but they rent them for holiday lets at £1000 pw (summer rate)

These are normal family homes and it's immoral

I hate this petty attitude it's a business! It's supply and demand - if holiday makers did find it too expensive, they wouldn't rent.
No one expect to pay the same price for a normal rent and a holiday rent - you don't provide the same facilities to yearly tenants and holiday ones for a start.

My friend has a 'weekend cottage' (which, in my opinion is different from a 'holiday home'). She bought it because she lives in her partner's house and she wanted to keep a little property in her own name, just in case the relationship went wrong. So it's more of an emergency bolt hole, which I think is quite sensible.

I just wish that the houses bought up as nice little weekend places for couples from London weren't the same little houses that would be the only ones that local people could afford to buy to get on the housing ladder.

North East here too, but North York moors, so a very pretty and high priced area.

How about people who use more space than they need, eg both my parents and my PILs live in a 4-bedroom house with 3 spare bedrooms because they've never moved out of the family home (kids left home over 25 years ago). They could move into a flat and free up a family home.

Should they be forced to do so? What's your feeling on that, OP? Because I fear you'd be moving towards a lack of personal freedom.

@MyOpinionIsValid is bang on.

Is this because YOU can't afford a 2nd property?

Be honest... mainly with yourself.

Is owning a second home more selfish than owning a car? Or having children? Or using planes?

It's selfish if it's left empty most of the year but if it's let most of the year bringing people into the community who shop at the local shop, employ a local cleaning person and plumber/electrician/handyman etc then it's different, it's a business.

I think it should be legislated against (in a way that discourages people from buying as second homes) but I can't get angry at the individuals exercising their financial clout over this, rather than at any other analogous issue where wealthy people use their wealth to the detriment of those poorer than them.

So vacant properties in the north east means people from the south west for example should uproot and move away from their family friends and communities..... So that rich second home owners can have holiday homes in the 'prettiest' areas?

Oh, did you start that goady ‘grim up north’ thread a few weeks back?