The north of England emerged as the primary hotspot for tenants seeking rental homes over the summer, according to new figures from a property portal.
Wallasey and Birkenhead in Merseyside proved the most competitive rental markets logged by Rightmove during July and August, averaging 30 inquiries for every available listing.
Carlisle registered as the third most contested area nationally, receiving 29 inquiries per advertised property on average.
Significant competition for homes was also identified across Scotland and in parts of south-west England.
Overall, Scotland posted the highest average level of rental competition across Great Britain, with available properties generating 19 inquiries each throughout July and August.
The north-west of England ranked second overall, averaging 16 inquiries for every rental property listed.
Across Britain as a whole, an average of 11 inquiries were recorded per available property over July and August, falling from 12 a year earlier and down markedly from a peak of 28 during the same period in 2022, Rightmove reported.
The website said July and August are typically the busiest months of the year for the rental market.
Inquiries were measured by prospective tenants contacting letting agents to request to view a property to rent.
Rightmove’s analysis ranked 1,000 locations across Britain by the number of inquiries each available rental listing received.
Locations with fewer than 25 new rental listings and 25 rental transactions agreed were not included.
Colleen Babcock, a property expert at Rightmove, said: “While rental supply has rebalanced compared with previous years, there are still locations where each available home attracts high numbers of inquiries from prospective tenants.
“The North West features particularly prominently in our findings, accounting for six of the 10 most competitive locations, while Scotland recorded the highest average level of competition anywhere in Great Britain.
“For renters, the findings are a reminder that competition can still be strong in many areas, despite the improvement in supply in recent years.
“Starting a search early and being ready with the information an agent or landlord may need can help put renters in the best possible position when a suitable property becomes available.”
Aneisha Beveridge, research director at Connells Group, said: “In many respects, the rental market is beginning to follow the same path as house prices over the last decade, with lower-cost areas across the North continuing to outperform and narrowing the historic divide with the South.”
