Wallasey and Birkenhead in Merseyside emerged as Britain's joint most competitive rental markets this summer, each attracting an average of 30 enquiries per available property, according to new Rightmove analysis.
Average rents in the two Wirral towns sit at £975 and £874 per calendar month respectively, making them among the most affordable markets on the list despite the intensity of demand.
The data, which ranked 1,000 locations across Great Britain by the number of enquiries each available rental listing received during July and August, found that the North West dominated the rankings. Six of the ten most competitive locations were in the region, while three of the top six were on the Wirral.
Carlisle ranked third with an average of 29 enquiries per available property and an average rent of £913 per calendar month. Glasgow and East Kilbride completed the top five, with 28 and 27 enquiries respectively, at average rents of £1,181 and £1,049. A third Wirral location, Prenton, also recorded 27 enquiries per available property at an average rent of £1,089.
Outside the North West and Scotland, Kingswood in Bristol attracted 25 enquiries per listing at £1,542 per calendar month, the highest average rent among the top ten. Chorlton Cum Hardy in Manchester and Morecambe in Lancashire both recorded 22 enquiries, at £1,610 and £887 respectively. Salisbury in Wiltshire rounded out the top ten with 21 enquiries per available property and an average rent of £1,371.
Scotland recorded the highest average level of rental competition of any part of Great Britain, with properties attracting 19 enquiries each on average, ahead of the North West on 16. The South West, West Midlands, and Yorkshire and The Humber each averaged 12 enquiries per property, while London, the South East and East Midlands were among the least competitive regions, each averaging nine enquiries.
Across Great Britain as a whole, rental properties attracted an average of 11 enquiries each during July and August. That figure is down from 12 during the same period last year and well below the peak of 28 recorded in July and August 2022, though it remains above the pre-pandemic average of eight.
Average advertised rents nationally stand at £1,580 per calendar month, with the pace of rent growth continuing to slow as supply improves and conditions ease from pandemic-era highs.
"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," said Colleen Babcock, Rightmove's property expert. "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.
"The North West features particularly prominently in our findings, accounting for six of the ten 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."
An enquiry is defined as a prospective tenant phoning or emailing a letting agent to request a viewing. To qualify for inclusion, locations were required to have at least 25 new rental listings and at least 25 agreed rental transactions during the period.
