Six of Britain’s 10 most competitive rental markets this summer were in the North West, according to Rightmove.
Wallasey and Birkenhead, both on the Wirral in Merseyside, were the joint most competitive locations in July and August, with an average of 30 tenant enquiries for every available rental property.
Average advertised rents were £975 per month in Wallasey and £874 in Birkenhead.
Carlisle was a close third, with 29 enquiries per property and an average rent of £913 per month.
Glasgow had 28 enquiries and an average rent of £1,181, while East Kilbride completed the top five with 27 enquiries and an average monthly rent of £1,049.
Prenton in Merseyside, also had 27 enquiries per property and was the third location on the Wirral to make the list, with average rent of £1,089 per month
The remainder of the top 10 included Kingswood in Bristol, where the average rent was £1,542 and properties received 25 enquiries, Chorlton-cum-Hardy in Manchester at £1,610 and 22 enquiries, Morecambe at £887 and 22 enquiries, and Salisbury at £1,371 and 21 enquiries.
Across Great Britain, rental properties attracted an average of 11 enquiries each during July and August, down from 12 during the same period last year and well below the peak of 28 recorded in 2022.
However, competition remains above the pre-pandemic summer average of eight enquiries per property.
Rightmove defines an enquiry as a prospective tenant phoning or emailing a letting agent to request a viewing.
Across Britain, Scotland recorded the highest average level of competition, with 19 enquiries per available property, followed by the North West with 16, while in London and the South East there were only nine enquiries per property.
The average advertised rent across Britain is currently £1,580 per month, although Rightmove says the pace of rental growth has slowed as supply has improved.
Rightmove property expert Colleen Babcock says: “July and August are typically the busiest months of the year for the rental market, and our analysis shows that competition remains particularly strong in some parts of Great Britain.
“While rental supply has rebalanced compared with previous years, there are still locations where each available home attracts high numbers of enquiries from prospective tenants.”
ARLA Propertymark president Kim Ledbury says: “Considering rental costs have increased substantially over the last decade, many tenants are now looking at areas of greater affordability than ever before, particularly as advancing technology makes it easier for people to work remotely or in hybrid locations without having to locate themselves in or near larger towns and cities.
“For many, this increased flexibility means that living further away from traditional employment centres can provide an opportunity to manage housing costs while still maintaining access to employment.”
