Nicola Guttridge is a PhD researcher at the University of Salford exploring tenant mobility in the UK’s private rented sector.
Private renting is often described as flexible — a way for people to move for work, better opportunities, or simply by choice. However, findings from my recent survey of 347 private tenants across Greater Manchester show that the reality is far more complex. Moving home in the city region is common, sometimes frequent, and not always something people choose. And when people do move, the effects often go well beyond housing. While much previous research examines the effects of tenant mobility in isolation — focusing on employment, wellbeing or education separately — this study takes a more holistic approach, exploring how these impacts overlap and accumulate in people’s everyday lives.
How the survey was conducted
This blog draws on an online survey of 347 private renters living across Greater Manchester, carried out between January and December 2025. The survey was hosted on Jisc Online Surveys, a secure academic platform, and accessed via link or QR code. Because participants were recruited through social media, community groups, housing organisations and public venues across all ten boroughs, the study used convenience sampling — a common approach in PRS research where no centralised database of tenants exists. The survey was online only and therefore reflects the experiences of renters with digital access.
How often are people moving?
Between 2019 and 2025, a quarter of respondents moved three or more times within the private rental sector. Another 30% moved twice, and 44% moved once. In other words, most tenants experienced at least one move in just five years, with a significant number moving multiple times. This level of “churn” points to housing instability, which appears to be increasing in Greater Manchester’s growing and expensive rental market.
Who took part?
Respondents represented a wide range of private renters across the city region. Most were aged 25–35 (59%), followed by those aged 36–45 (22%) and 18–24 (12%). Just over half identified as female (52%), and the majority were employed or self employed (88%). Around 31% reported receiving state benefits, and 35% reported a long-term mental health condition.
Importantly, this was not a student heavy sample despite the presence of multiple universities in the area: only 6% identified as students. A striking 59% lived with children, showing that many families rely on the PRS for long-term housing. Respondents lived in a variety of property types — from flats (39%) to terraced homes and bungalows — and many had rented privately in Greater Manchester for between two and ten years. This highlights that frequent movers are often long-term renters rather than transient newcomers.
The sample aligns with wider patterns described in reports such as the Mapping the Private Rented Sector in GM study, which identifies the sector as younger, highly mobile, and home to many working households and families (Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), 2015).
Why do people move?
The reasons behind moving are varied.
Some tenants move to improve their situation:
- 36% moved to a better neighbourhood
- 25% moved to a larger property
- 28% moved for job-related reasons
But many moves are driven by pressure rather than choice:
- 20% were asked to leave or given notice by their landlord
- 13% could no longer afford their rent
- 13% moved because of poor property conditions
These findings mirror longstanding concerns raised in Greater Manchester’s PRS reviews, including affordability pressures, insecure tenancies and poor quality housing (Greater Manchester (TPRSGM) Partnership Board, 2018)
Experiences of moving
Moving can feel very different depending on the circumstances. Just under half of tenants described their most recent move as positive, while over a quarter said it was negative. Many others described their experience as “fair.” This highlights that moving can be both beneficial and destabilising.
Moving affects more than just your home
Survey respondents reported that moving affected many aspects of their lives:
- 41% experienced longer or shorter commutes
- Nearly a third saw changes to their job or work situation
- Almost a quarter said their or their children’s education was disrupted
- 31% saw less of family and friends
- 35% reduced how often they could attend community groups or activities
- 25% felt their mental health was affected
- 20% reported impacts on physical health
- 25% said their finances worsened
Only 16% of respondents said that moving had no impact on their lives.
Longer term renting and repeated moves
Many private renters in Greater Manchester are not short-term residents. A large number have rented privately in the city region for five to ten years, and many more for three to five years. This points to a group of long-term residents who nevertheless experience repeated moves within the same sector.
How this compares to what we know about Greater Manchester’s PRS
The findings reflect broader regional trends. Census analysis shows that private rented households in Greater Manchester increased by 34% between 2011 and 2021, making the PRS one of the fastest growing tenures in the city region.
Local studies also highlight ongoing affordability pressures, competition for homes and issues with poor quality stock. The 2018 Transforming the Private Rented Sector in GM report identified widespread concerns about non-decent housing, limited supply and inconsistent management — themes that resonate strongly with the experiences shared by tenants in this survey.
Together, these patterns suggest the survey does not capture isolated experiences but rather reflects widespread dynamics across the city region’s rental market.
The bigger picture
Greater Manchester has seen rising rents, strong demand and limited housing availability in some areas. Investment and regeneration have reshaped neighbourhoods, which can bring opportunity but also increase pressures on affordability and competition for housing. The survey suggests that frequent moves are often shaped by these wider structural conditions.
Next steps in research
This survey forms part of a larger study exploring private rental mobility. While the findings provide a snapshot of how often tenants move, why they move and the impacts of moving, I am now analysing 29 in-depth interviews to explore how tenants experience insecurity, repeated moves and how these shape their sense of stability, belonging and future planning.
Key takeaway
Even at this early stage, one message is clear: moving in the private rented sector is not just about flexibility or lifestyle choice. For many tenants in Greater Manchester, it is tied to insecurity, affordability and landlord power — and it has real social and economic consequences. If communities and local economies are to thrive, housing policy needs to take these wider impacts into account.
Greater Manchester provides an important example of what renting means today — and it highlights that moving home is often much more than just a change of address. A distinctive feature of this research is its focus on the combined effects of moving, rather than treating each outcome — such as work, education, health or finances — as separate and unrelated. For many tenants, these pressures unfold together, shaping their stability, wellbeing and future opportunities. Recognising this cumulative load is essential if policy and practice are to respond to the reality of renting in Greater Manchester today.
References
Greater Manchester (TPRSGM) Partnership Board. (2018). Transforming the Private Rented Sector, Greater Manchester. www.arc4.co.uk. Available here: https://assets.ctfassets.net/6sxvmndnpn0s/4JtoNKtVeZo5ve3zBoGTC5/6a007a56107e06ffce1986d88178e372/Fair_Housing_Futures_Partnership_Board_Final_Report_2018.pdf
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). (2015). Mapping the private rented sector for young professionals and mid incomes families in Greater Manchester. https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/media/1996/private-rented-sector-in-greater-manchester-april-2015-v5.pdf
