"If you are thinking of moving to Manchester city centre - this is your sign to not move," presenter and influencer Saskia Marriott tells her thousands of TikTok followers as she recounts her experience of hunting for a one-bed flat in the heart of the city.
Saskia, 26, has spent months searching for somewhere new to live after the rent in her current Salford flat increased by 50% in just two years. She says she has a good budget, an above-average salary for someone of her age, no pets, no children, and no parking requirements. "I'm not a fussy client," she says in her TikTok video. "Yet I am so struggling."
Property experts say Manchester's rental market is experiencing a 'unique' pressure, as delayed construction due to Covid, countrywide economic forces, and huge population growth in the city work together to create a 'feeding frenzy'. It's an endorsement of Manchester's desirability as a place to live and work - but for some those on the ground, the situation has become 'ridiculous'.
