Why India's Hills Are Full of Houses Nobody Lives In: Second Home Crisis Explained
It started during the pandemic: as cities shut down and the air was heavy with uncertainty. Thousands of urban Indians particularly the well-off, NRIs, and tech professionals began eyeing hill stations not just for a vacation, but for permanent escape. 'Work-from-mountains" became the new 'work-from-home."
But by 2024–25, something strange happened. The hills didn't get more lived-in, they got emptier. And in villages where most people can't afford real estate, plots now carry price tags that rival metros. So why are these homes being built if no one's really moving in?
The second-home trend in hill towns exploded post-2020, fueled by:
But in most cases, these homes are only occupied for 10–30 days a year, if at all. The rest of the time? They sit locked, maintained by caretakers, slowly turning villages into patchworks of ghost homes.
Where It's Happening
Uttarakhand (Mussoorie, Mukteshwar, Ranikhet)
Land prices have tripled in places like Mukteshwar since 2019. In Almora, locals report that 'out-of-towners" own nearly 40% of new construction, yet these houses remain empty most of the year. The impact of this is shrinking rental options for locals, groundwater strain, and rising resentment.
Himachal Pradesh (Manali, Dharamshala, Jibhi)
The Himachal government has been grappling with land-sale rules, especially around non-Himachalis buying property. While there are legal limits, workarounds via long leases and company names have made second-home investments surge.
Because of this, entire villages near Jibhi now host Instagrammable stays but no school-age children which is a serious demographic drain.
Coorg and Chikkmagaluru (Karnataka)
Coffee estate owners and wealthy Bengaluru families are buying up heritage properties and turning them into second homes or boutique stays. Many locals, however, are being priced out of ancestral lands.
This has resulted in cultural erosion, increase in waste, and uneven development of the land.
Ooty and Kodaikanal (Tamil Nadu)
NRI Tamil families and Chennai investors are pushing prices into crores. Old British cottages are being razed for modern second homes. This has led to pressure on hill ecology, waste disposal issues, and local youth migrating out due to affordability gaps.
Climate + Infrastructure: Cracks in the Mountain Dream
In parts of Uttarakhand and Himachal, there's a growing rift. While tourism brings jobs, real estate inflation pushes locals out, especially young adults. Small hoteliers can't afford to expand. Teachers and government workers can't rent in the places they serve.
What used to be community-driven hamlets are now becoming locked gates, seasonal lights, and empty windows.
Solutions? Or Stalemate?
Some hill states are starting to push back:
Himachal has laws limiting land purchase by outsiders, but loopholes exist.
Sikkim and Arunachal restrict land sales to non-residents completely.
Eco-sensitive zoning has been proposed in some districts, but enforcement remains patchy.
When a Home Isn't Really a Home
The rise of second homes in India's hill stations reflects aspiration, but also alienation. For many buyers, it's about escape. But for the people who live there year-round, it's becoming harder to stay.
And in places where the air is pure but the homes stand hollow, we're left asking: Who are the hills really being built for?
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At Home explained Homestays Ooty Shimla
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First Published:
July 25, 2025, 15:48 IST
News explainers Why India's Hills Are Full of Houses Nobody Lives In: Second Home Crisis Explained
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