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Second Homes

Asked by Kevin HollinrakeConservativeMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled Answered 19 September 2025UIN 76276

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has a definition of a second home.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook

There is not a single statutory definition of a second home.

For data collection purposes, the English Housing Survey defines a second home as a property that is primarily used as a holiday home (either by the owner or let to others) or a property occupied by the owner while working away from home.

For the purposes of council tax, a second home is considered a dwelling which is no one’s sole or main residence but is substantially furnished and occupied periodically.

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