Concern over rising number of vacation homes threatening community cohesion in Danish villages

Kristoffer Kashani Højsleth, who lives with his family in the village of Pillemark on the Danish island of Samsø, has expressed concern about the increase in vacation homeowners in his neighborhood. Around a third of traditional houses in Samsø and Læsø are now used as summer homes, with this figure rising to over a quarter on the islands of Langeland and Ærø. This trend is especially prevalent in popular holiday areas near the coast.

Statistics from Denmark reveal that an increasing number of permanent residences are owned by people whose registered address is elsewhere, indicating that these homes are being used as vacation properties. Kashani Højsleth worries about the impact on community cohesion, as permanent residents are replaced by temporary vacation homeowners.

Traditional houses in villages are often cheaper than vacation homes, and many popular holiday municipalities no longer require permanent residency, leading to an increase in regular houses being sold and used as vacation homes, explains Egon Bjørnshave Noe, a professor and head of the Center for Rural Research. Noe warns that this shift could negatively impact local residents, transforming areas into pure tourist zones rather than residential ones.

Many houses in Gammel Skagen have been sold as vacation homes, with locals residing instead in a residential area away from the old town center. The town of Ballen on Samsø has also seen locals replaced by vacation homeowners.

Residents of larger cities generally have greater purchasing power than country dwellers, contributing to this trend. City dwellers typically have higher incomes and have benefited from the steady rise in housing prices over the decades, allowing them to purchase vacation homes.

Samsø Municipality lifted the requirement in 2010 to live in a permanent house most of the year to be able to buy it. Since then, more regular houses have been purchased for use as vacation homes. Samsø’s mayor, Marcel Meijer, sees the upside of this trend in avoiding empty and dilapidated houses, providing work for local craftsmen, and enhancing the social life of the island. However, the city council is concerned about the limit being reached when regular houses in Tranebjerg are also being used as vacation homes, leading to a recent ruling that future buyers must reside in Tranebjerg to purchase a house there.

Kristoffer Kashani Højsleth hopes that the measures will succeed in attracting permanent residents and not just vacation homeowners, emphasizing the need for investment in the island beyond the holiday season.