Report finds holiday home owners Inundated with requests for "freebie" stays

Four in five of those with holiday homes have been asked by family or friends for a free or discounted stay, the survey by Post Office Travel Insurance found.

Of those asked, 50 per cent felt under pressure to put people up in their property.

A third of the owners said the request came from friends, with 20 per cent saying it came from their parents and 14 per cent from their children.

A total of 3,000 UK holidaymakers were polled, including 1,352 who had holiday homes in the UK or overseas.

The poll found that 58 per cent expected to get a discount on a holiday home if it was owned by family or friends, while 22 per cent expected to stay for free.

The survey also showed that 20 per cent would only have friends and family from abroad to stay with them if it was convenient, or for a short period of time - however, 8 per cent would not want them coming at all.