Changes in dwelling numbers and housing tenure in Cornwall – 2021 - 2024

Introduction

To get a picture of dwelling numbers and housing tenure in Cornwall requires analysis of several different data sets, from the Office for National Statistics and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. 

The ones used for this post are: Annual household tenure estimates; 2021 census; Council tax base; Vacant dwellings data; ONS annual total stock.

Taken together they provide a comprehensive outline of the current situation yet also introduce a degree of confusion unless analysed. 

Summary

We can get figures for three distinct datasets – total households, total dwellings on the Council Tax Base and total dwellings from the annual stock database. 

The data shows an increase in the number of households from 2021 to 2024 from 250,500 to 256,000 up 2.2%.  Total dwellings on the Council Tax Base data rose from 277,500 to 286,000 up 3.1%.  However, ONS stock figures suggest total dwelling numbers rose from 285,500 to 293,500, an increase of 2.8%.

Using these figures we can calculate the number of unoccupied/non residential dwellings. In 2024 there were 37,400 of these, up by 6.9% from 2021. Subtracting the CTB figures from the Tab 125 figures gives an estimate of dwellings, which are used for holiday lets. The data suggests a slight fall here of 7.2%. 

Table 1	2021	2022	2023	2024	Change
Category	Nos.	Nos.	Nos.	Nos.	Nos.	%
Households	250533	252607	253537	256080	5547	2.2
Total CTB	277512	279638	282277	286043	8531	3.1
Tab 125	285530	288260	290980	293480	7950	2.8
Unoccupied	34997	35653	37443	37400	2403	6.9
Non CTB	8018	8622	8703	7437	-581	-7.2

Analysis of the Council Tax Base figures indicates significant increases of vacant dwellings - 132.5% for public and 16.5% for private.  For other dwellings second homes rose by 6.5%, followed by owned at 4%, then social rent at 2.8% and private rent with 2.5%.   The anomaly is with holiday lets down by 23.5%. [Holiday lets figures are derived by subtracting all figures from the total.  They are therefore purely estimates.]   However, further analysis – Table 3 below suggest the 2021 figure is too high.  The discrepancy may arise due to issues arising during the census itself due to covid restrictions.

Table 2	All dwellings
	2021	2024	Change
Type	Nos.	Nos.	Nos.	%
Owned	165958	172575	6617	4.0
Second homes	13260	14123	863	6.5
Private Rent	49371	50583	1212	2.5
Social Rent	32039	32922	883	2.8
Private vacant	6159	7174	1015	16.5
Public vacant	295	686	391	132.5
Other - holiday lets	10430	7980	-2450	-23.5
Total	277512	286043	8531	3.1

If we combine the figures for second homes and holiday lets we get the following table.  It illustrates that there are over 21,000 dwellings used in the leisure sector as either holiday lets or second homes. [The holiday lets figure here should be used rather that that in Table 2.

Table 3	Leisure sector
	2021	2022	2023	2024	Change
Category	Nos.	Nos.	Nos.	Nos.	Nos.	%
Holiday lets	8018	8622	8703	7437	-581	-7.2
Second homes	13260	13292	13140	14123	863	6.5
Total leisure	21278	21914	21843	21560	282	1.3
As % of all dwellings	7.5	7.6	7.5	7.3
Tab 125	285530	288260	290980	293480	7950	2.8

England

Data for England indicates an increase of all dwellings of 2.8% in 2024 compared to 2021.  Leisure homes increased by 8.1% over the same period.

Table 4	Leisure sector
	2021	2022	2023	2024	Change
Category	Nos.	Nos.	Nos.	Nos.	Nos.	%
Holiday lets	59468	63481	66055	58421	-1047	-1.8
Second homes	253400	256913	263318	279870	26470	10.4
Total leisure	312868	320394	329373	338291	25423	8.1
As % of all dwellings	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.3	3.7
Tab 125	24928000	25162000	25396000	25617000	689000	2.8

Conclusion

Contrary to the house building lobby, Cornwall has a lot of dwellings.  Of the 293,500 dwellings in 2024, some 21,000 plus are used by the leisure sector either as second homes or holiday lets – sometimes both.  Altogether, there are 37,400 unoccupied dwellings.  In terms of policy Cornwall needs to make use of these instead of planning to build more.

Notes

Holiday lets

A dwelling used as a holiday let -

It will be rated as a self-catering property and valued for business rates if over the last 12 months both the following were true: 

·                       it was available to let for short periods commercially for at least 140 nights in total

·                       it was actually let for at least 70 nights

In addition, you must be planning to make your property available for short periods commercially for at least 140 nights in the next 12 months.

https://www.gov.uk/introduction-to-business-rates/self-catering-and-holiday-let-accommodation

Second homes

In theory second homes should be registered with the local authority as such.  However, they could be registered as holiday lets instead if used as such. 

Council tax base (CTB)

Estimate of the number of properties liable for Council Tax….

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/council-taxbase-2025-in-england/local-authority-council-taxbase-in-england-2025

Annual housing stock data

The dwelling stock statistical release presents National Statistics on estimates of the number of dwellings in England and in each local authority district. The statistics use the Census as a baseline and apply annual net changes to the dwelling stock as measured by the related Housing supply: net additional dwellings statistics. Table 125 gives dwelling stock estimates as at 31 March by English local authority district from 2001 to 2024.

[Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government]. 

Sources

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Council Tax Base. Annual data

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government , (May 2025), Table 125: Dwelling stock estimates by local authority district: 2001 – 2024.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, (January 2026), Live Table 615: Vacant Dwellings by Local Authority District, England, from 2004 to 2025.

Office for National Statistics, Census 2021.  Households and Tenure, England and Wales 2021. Table TS054 – Tenure (NOMIS).

Office for National Statistics, (February 2026), Table 1a: Counts of dwelling stock by tenure in each local authority, England, 2022 to 2024.