A property occasionally used by a household whose normal residence is elsewhere. Second homes are usually found in rural areas; the ‘compensation hypothesis’ describes the association between urban density and the consumption of second homes (Módenes and López-Colás (2007) Tijdschrift 98, 3). Second homes can bring increased custom to rural areas, but may drive up house prices beyond the pockets of local residents. Stressing that he is referring to Sweden only, Marjavaara (2007) Tourism Geogs. 9, 3 observes that second homes become a convenient scapegoat for rural decline: second home owners are often targeted as holders of alien values; locals are seen as fragile victims.