Yahoo News Northumberland has highest rate of second homes in North East - see map showing rate in your area
Northumberland has the most second homes in the North East, with almost twice as many as the next most by council area.
The number of second homes in the North East has increased by almost 800 over the last 12 months, with the region considered one of the top places in England for people to have a spare property.
There are a total of 10,141 second homes across our region - excluding Teesside - according to the latest government figures. That's up by almost 800 from 9,347 second homes in 2023 and means that one in every 99 dwellings in the region is now classed as a second home.
Second homes are properties that are unlived in, but are fully furnished. They can include holiday lets like AirBnBs, as well as "buy-to-leave" properties, which are purchased as investments that are left unoccupied in the expectation that their value will rise.
Northumberland County Council now has 4,173 second homes within its borders. That’s an increase of 12.1% compared to 2023, and means that one in every 39 dwellings in the area is a second home - and in villages on the Northumberland Coast, such as Beadnell, that number is even higher.
Only 13 other councils in the whole of England have a higher number of second homes than Northumberland. Newcastle upon Tyne is our region's next most popular spot to own a second home.
There are 2,164 second homes in the city, 75 more than last year. It means one in every 65 dwellings there is now a second home.
County Durham has the next largest number (1,646) followed by Sunderland (931) and Gateshead (469).
The growth in the number of second homes in North East council areas is much smaller than that of in some of the country's other second home hotspots.
There has been a huge surge in second home ownership in Brighton and Manchester. There are 1,506 more second homes in Brighton and Hove in 2024 than there were in 2023.
It’s the largest numerical year-on-year increase of any local authority in England, and means the number of second homes in the local authority has almost doubled since 2022 going from 2,148 to 4,211. Manchester has seen the next largest annual increase, with 1,275 new second homes in the city compared to 2023. That’s a rise of 20.5%.
Cornwall has seen the next largest annual growth with 983 new second homes, while Wandsworth has 816 new second homes (almost 2.5 times more than in 2023), and Leeds has 804 new second homes (up by 23.6%).
Cornwall remains the undisputed second homeland of England though. There are 14,123 second homes in the countywide local authority, which works out as one in every 20 dwellings.
North Yorkshire has the next most with 8,572 (one in every 36 dwellings), followed by Kensington and Chelsea with 7,667 (one in every 12), Tower Hamlets with 7,572 (one in every 20), Manchester with 7,487 (one in every 34) and Dorset with 6,367 (one in every 29).
The number of second homes is on the rise across England. There are a total of 279,870 second homes in England, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
That’s 16,552 more than in 2023 and 22,957 more than in 2022. It means the number has increased by 8.9% in the space of just two years.
Second homes are far more common in some areas than others. These areas fall into two main categories - central London or popular coastal holiday spots.
One in every four dwellings in the City of London are classed as second homes. That’s the highest proportion of any local authority in England.
North Norfolk has the next highest ratio at one in every nine homes, followed by the Isles of Scilly with one in every 10, South Hams with one in every 11, Kensington and Chelsea with one in every 12, Great Yarmouth with one in every 17, and Camden with one in every 18.
A spokesperson from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: "We understand the frustration in areas where large numbers of properties are used as second homes and we are determined to tackle this issue.
"That’s why we are taking decisive action to protect communities by giving councils powers to charge a council tax premium on second homes and increasing Stamp Duty for those buying additional properties."
The Government has provided councils with the discretionary power to charge a council tax premium of up to 100% on second homes from next April. The premium is not a mandatory requirement, it is for councils to decide whether to charge the premium and at what rate.
The government has also announced an increase to the higher rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax on additional dwellings in the Autumn Budget. This is designed to give an advantage to people buying a home to live in an advantage over those purchasing additional property.
Number of second homes in each North East council area
Northumberland: 4,173
Newcastle upon Tyne: 2,164
County Durham: 1,646
Sunderland: 931
Gateshead: 469
North Tyneside: 365
Redcar and Cleveland: 285
Stockton-on-Tees: 271
South Tyneside: 233
Darlington: 197
Hartlepool: 160
Middlesbrough: 39
One in every X dwellings is a second home
Northumberland: 38.8
Newcastle upon Tyne: 64.9
County Durham: 154.9
Sunderland: 144.4
Gateshead: 203.4
North Tyneside: 279
Redcar and Cleveland: 233.5
Stockton-on-Tees: 334.3
South Tyneside: 313.2
Darlington: 272.3
Hartlepool: 286.8
Middlesbrough: 1702
