Second properties – data from the English Housing Survey

Data from the English Housing Survey (EHS) (2021-2022), gives some information about the number of households in England with a second property. The data covers properties let in the rented market, holiday homes, holiday lets and some let for students or for the household when working away from home.

 

The report indicates that there were some 3.33 million second properties owned by 885,000 households in England.  The main category consisted of properties let out as part of the private rented market. These amounted to 2.31 million – (69%).  A further 0.81 million, (24%) were used as second homes. 

 

Category	Numbers	%
Main residence of someone else	2.31	69
Second homes	0.81	24
Properties intended to be sold or moved into shortly	0.19	6
Occupied by student children at college/university	0.03	1
Total	3.33	100

 

 Second homes, data from the English Housing Survey

The 809,000 second homes were owned by 712,000 households.  Just under half (49%), of these households were located in the South east of England or London. 

 

Region	nos ('ooo)	%
South East	183	26
London	162	23
West Midlands	81	11
North West	77	11
East of England	71	10
South West	48	7
Yorkshire and the Humber	41	6
East Midlands	30	4
North East	17	2
Total	712	100

 

Analysis by age group shows that those in the 55-64 group accounted for 31% of the total followed by those in the 65+ group with 27%.

 

Age group	nos	%
55- to 64	224	31
65 or over	196	27
45 to 54	158	22
25 to 34	67	9
35 to 44	64	9
16 to 24	u	u
Total	712	100

 

[u = few numbers].

 

Location

Of the 809,000 dwellings, 482,000 were in the UK and 327,000 elsewhere, 243,000 in Europe. 

 

Comparisons

The 2021 census indicated a total of 172,545 second homes in England and Wales.  The discrepancy can be accounted for by the inclusion of holiday lets within the second homes classification in the EHS.

 

Notes

The English Housing Survey (EHS) collects information on households with second properties, and of those how many use them as ‘second homes’, that is, as a home mainly used by family/friends as holiday home, let to others as a holiday let, or for occupation while working away from home.

 

Second homes is defined as homes mainly used by family/friends as holiday home, let to others as a holiday let, for occupation while working away from home, rented or other

  

Sources

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), (23rd July 2023),  English Housing Survey 2021 to 2022: second homes

 

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), (Updated 17 July 2023),  English Housing Survey 2021 to 2022: second homes - fact sheet.