Morecambe has been named one of Britain's most competitive places to rent a home, with would-be tenants facing strong competition for available properties over the summer.
New figures from property website Rightmove show the Lancashire seaside town ranked joint eighth among the UK's busiest rental markets during July and August, with an average of 22 enquiries made for every available rental property.
The average advertised monthly rent in Morecambe was £887.
The study analysed around 1,000 locations across Britain and found northern England was home to some of the country's most competitive rental markets.
Birkenhead and Wallasey in Merseyside topped the rankings, with an average of 30 enquiries per available property, while Carlisle came third with 29 enquiries.
Several North West locations featured prominently in the top 10, including Prenton on the Wirral and Chorlton-cum-Hardy in Manchester.
Across the North West as a whole, rental properties received an average of 16 enquiries each during July and August, significantly higher than the national average of 11.
Scotland recorded the highest regional level of competition, with 19 enquiries per available rental home.
Despite the continued pressure in some areas, Rightmove said rental competition nationally has eased compared with recent years.
The average of 11 enquiries per property this summer was down from 12 a year earlier and well below the peak of 28 recorded during the same period in 2022.
July and August are typically the busiest months of the year for the rental market, with Rightmove measuring enquiries from prospective tenants who contacted letting agents to arrange viewings.
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.”
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The 10 most competitive places to rent a home in Britain:
= 1. Birkenhead, Merseyside – £874 average monthly rent, 30 inquiries per available rental property
= 1. Wallasey, Merseyside – £975 average monthly rent, 30 inquiries per available rental property
3. Carlisle, Cumbria – £913 average monthly rent, 29 inquiries per available rental property
4. Glasgow – £1,181 average monthly rent, 28 inquiries per available rental property
= 5. East Kilbride – £1,049 average monthly rent, 27 inquiries per available rental property
= 5. Prenton, Merseyside – £1,089 average monthly rent, 27 inquiries per available rental property
7. Kingswood, Bristol – £1,542 average monthly rent, 25 inquiries per available rental property
= 8. Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester – £1,610 average monthly rent, 22 inquiries per available rental property
= 8. Morecambe, Lancashire – £887 average monthly rent, 22 inquiries per available rental property
10. Salisbury, Wiltshire – £1,371 average monthly rent, 21 inquiries per available rental property
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