Seaside Towns Face “Ghost Town” Risk Due to Empty Second Homes

Empty second homes hurt beautiful seaside towns. These homes could turn communities into “ghost towns.” Tough times and a slow housing market make things worse. Also, more people are doing “staycations” now.

Holiday rentals get sold to second home buyers. Some buyers come from the US or Asia. These homes sit empty for months and tourism decreases in those areas greatly.

Katie Warren, a property buyer and town councilor, says second homes lack economic value. Holiday rentals give income to places like Cornwall. A home used only six weeks a year doesn’t support locals.

We might end up with empty fishing cottages and create ghost towns, she noted. This comes from taxes and rules hurting the economy. The government doesn’t see the problem.

Craig Fuller agrees with the councilor’s worries. He said many second-home buyers don’t live in the UK. Overseas buyers are still increasing in number, even with higher taxes buyers still come. They come from the US, Dubai, and Singapore and this trend will likely stay, he added.

Cornwall is especially affected in places like Cawsand, Padstow, St Ives, and Port Isaac. Across the border, Devon faces similar issues in Ifracombe and Dartmouth. Abersoch in Wales is too.

Cornwall has 13,000 second homes and 24,300 holiday lets. Yet, 27,000 families need social housing, which is an emergency, it said.

Jayne Kirkham spoke in Parliament and said Cornwall has 24,300 holiday lets. It is up 30 percent from 2019, she mentioned. She also stated there are 13,000 second homes, about five percent of all homes in the area. It is five times higher for England on average. Kirkham mentioned a problem for renters in Cornwall.

People struggle to find housing for many reasons, some lose out if they have kids or even pets. The changes should help vulnerable people so people won’t need to give up their pets.