The UK's rental market has been through a rollercoaster in the last few years: intense competition and long queues for properties at the market's peak, then a partial cooling as supply has begun to recover.

Below our friends and sponsors at Julian Wadden summarise the key trends (viewing activity, supply changes over time) and then compare how Stockport's market stacks up against the national picture. 

How many people view each rental property? (the "viewers per property" story) 

• Pre-pandemic baseline: in 2019 a typical rental listing attracted roughly 5–10 enquiries/viewing requests.  
• The surge: in mid-2023 headline figures from portal data commissioned by the BBC showed that competition had exploded — around 20 requests per available property on average, with some regions (e.g., the North West) reaching ~30. That tripling from 2019 made national headlines and reflected how tight supply had become.  
• Cooling but still busy: more recent portal trackers show that the market has cooled from those summer 2023 peaks. Rightmove's Q1 2025 snapshot reports an average of about 12 enquiries per available property nationally (with regional variation: around eight in London but ~18 in the North West). That's well above pre-pandemic levels but down from extreme highs.  

What you should take away: although the "20 viewers" headline captured the public imagination, the true story is regional and time-sensitive — demand spiked after 2019, peaked in 2022–23 in many places, and has since eased somewhat while staying above historic norms. 

Availability of rental stock — what changed over the years? 

• Shrinkage vs stagnation: over the 2010s and into the early 2020s the private rented sector (PRS) grew substantially at a national level (the number of renters rose sharply over decades). But more recently the PRS has shown signs of stagnation and consolidation rather than uniform expansion: some smaller landlords have exited, while larger portfolios consolidated. Research and policy surveys flag modest declines in certain landlord segments.  
• The 2019 benchmark and after: portals report that the number of available rental properties in 2024–25 remains below 2019 levels in many areas, even when year-on-year availability has improved. For example Rightmove reported that availability was still materially lower than 2019 despite some short-term increases, and in quarters through 2024–25 each available property was still receiving more enquiries than in 2019.  
• Recent improvement: there has been a partial supply recovery into 2024–25 — more new listings came to market in some months (Rightmove noted double-digit percentage increases in new properties vs the prior year), and this—together with fewer prospective tenants on the move—helped cool demand a little. But structural constraints (planning, build rates, landlord costs and regulation) mean the underlying imbalance persists.  

In short: supply is better than the worst of the crunch, but it's not returned to the loose market conditions of 2019. Policy, costs for landlords (tax and compliance), and housing delivery bottlenecks underpin that structural shortage.  

Rising rents through 2021–24 partly reflected the supply squeeze. ONS and major portals tracked strong rental inflation (peaks in annual growth in 2022–24), though the pace has moderated into 2025 as supply edges up and demand cools. Average advertised rents outside London hit new records in parts of 2024–25, even as quarterly volatility appears.  

Stockport vs the rest of the UK — how does Stockport compare? 

• Regionally, the North West — which includes Stockport — has been among the busiest rental markets. Rightmove/portal data across recent reports show higher average enquiries in the North West than the national average (e.g., North West figures often reported in the high teens while national averages were lower). That implies Stockport, as a Greater Manchester commuter/urban area, experiences above-average competition for popular listings.  
• Local estimates place Stockport's typical advertised rents above some national averages for places outside London. One 2025 market summary cited an average rent in Stockport around £1,460–£1,480 pcm, compared with Rightmove's national advertised average outside London of ~£1,340–£1,350 pcm in early 2025. That makes Stockport slightly more expensive than the typical non-London location, reflecting its commuter links to Manchester and strong local demand.  
• Stockport has active regeneration programmes (ambitious town-centre plans and large schemes that aim to deliver thousands of homes). These projects could materially increase local housing supply over the medium term, but such schemes take years to deliver — so near-term demand pressures remain. Local datasets show one-bed rents rising faster than larger units in some local reporting, which aligns with strong single-occupier and young professional demand.  
• Investors and buy-to-let buyers have shown interest in Stockport because of relatively strong rental yields compared with central Manchester and lower entry prices than many parts of the North West's big cities. That investor interest can help replenish stock (if purchases are held for renting) but can also push purchase prices higher, affecting affordability.  

Quick practical conclusions 

• If you're a tenant: expect tougher competition in commuter/Greater Manchester areas like Stockport than the UK average (more applicants per property than in many southern or rural markets). Be prepared: good references, quick responses and slightly flexible move dates help. 
• If you're a landlord/investor: Stockport continues to offer demand and yield potential, but factor in tighter regulations, EPC requirements and evolving taxation/policy — all of which affect net returns and longer-term supply.  
• If you're a planner or policymaker: short-term boosts in new listings reduce pressure, but meaningful long-term relief requires faster housebuilding, targeted affordable-rent delivery and measures that stabilise small landlords so they don't exit en masse.  

For all things property, check out the Julian Wadden website here.

Sources (key references) 

• Rightmove Rental Trends Tracker — Q1 2025 (data on enquiries per property, regional splits, advertised rents). Rightmove Hub 
• BBC/Rightmove commissioned data reporting average requests to view per property (headline ~20 requests in 2023 with regional spikes). Contentful+1 
• ONS: Private rent and house prices (private rent inflation, 2024). Office for National Statistics 
• English Private Landlord Survey 2024 (government survey of landlords, PRS structure and trends). GOV.UK 
• Local Stockport market summaries and reports (regional rent figures, regeneration plans).