Another month, another result that never needed a portal listing. Partridge Homes Letting Agents in Dickens Heath and Shirley has successfully let a three-bedroom apartment on Main Street, Dickens Heath at the full asking price of £1,600 per calendar month, and the property was matched to a tenant before it appeared on any major property platform.
For the landlord, that means no void period, no portal marketing costs, and no waiting. For prospective landlords in Shirley and Dickens Heath, it raises a question worth answering honestly: how does this happen, and can it happen for your property?
How Off-Market Letting Works
The short answer is that it depends entirely on the quality of an agent’s active applicant database. When a landlord instructs Partridge Homes, the first step is not to write a listing and upload photographs. It is to check which pre-qualified applicants are already registered, what they are looking for, and whether any of them match the property.
In this case, they did. A suitable tenant from our existing register was matched to Main Street, Dickens Heath, references were progressed, and the tenancy was agreed. The property never needed to go to market at all.
This is not unusual for us. Recent comparable results include a let agreed on Beech Lane, Dickens Heath at £3,000pcm, also secured through our applicant database. Off-market matching is a consistent part of how we operate, not a one-off.
What £1,600pcm Means in Context
To understand why this result stands out, it helps to know where it sits against the local market. The average rent across the Solihull borough runs at approximately £1,245pcm (Zoopla, 2025), and that figure covers all property sizes. The £1,600pcm achieved for this three-bedroom apartment places it meaningfully above the borough average, reflecting both the quality of the Dickens Heath location and the strength of demand from professional and corporate applicants in the area.
Rental growth across Solihull has been running at around 6.6% year-on-year as of early 2025 (Zoopla, 2025), and Dickens Heath sits at the stronger end of that trend. Rental yields in the village have been tracking at 5.7% or above, which compares well against the broader B90 postcode range of 4.8% to 5.3%.
For landlords considering whether now is the right moment to let, the figures suggest the market remains firmly in their favour.
Why Dickens Heath Attracts Strong Tenants
Dickens Heath is a planned village development that consistently draws professional tenants, young families, and corporate relocators. Its appeal is straightforward: modern housing stock, a walkable High Street with independent shops and cafes, and solid road and rail connections to Birmingham city centre, Blythe Valley, Birmingham International, and the JLR campus at Solihull.
That combination of lifestyle and practicality makes it one of the most reliable rental locations in the borough. Tenants who move to Dickens Heath tend to stay, which reduces turnover risk for landlords and supports stable long-term income.
Looking further ahead, Solihull is set to benefit from significant economic investment: the UK Central development, Arden Cross, the HS2 Interchange, and the ongoing Solihull Town Centre Masterplan are all expected to sustain and strengthen property demand in the area for years to come.
The Wider Rental Market Picture
Nationally, rental supply remains well below pre-pandemic levels across every region of the UK (Zoopla, 2025). The average marketing period for a rental property in the West Midlands currently sits at around 19 days, which is longer than the national low but still reflects a market where well-presented, correctly priced properties let quickly.
The fact that the Main Street apartment let before reaching any portal at all illustrates what a strong applicant database can achieve. For landlords, eliminating even two or three weeks of void period has a direct impact on annual yield. At £1,600pcm, a fortnight’s void costs the landlord over £800. Avoiding it entirely is not a trivial outcome.
What the Renters’ Rights Act Means for Landlords Now
Landlords letting property in England need to be across the Renters’ Rights Act, which came into force in its first major phase on 1 May 2026. The key changes that apply now include:
- Abolition of Section 21: landlords can no longer end a tenancy without a valid legal ground. All evictions must proceed under the grounds set out in Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988.
- Periodic tenancies only: fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies have been replaced with rolling periodic tenancies from the outset.
- Rent increases: limited to once per year, with two months’ written notice required.
- Bidding wars banned: landlords and agents cannot invite or accept offers above the advertised rent.
- Pet requests: tenants now have a statutory right to request permission to keep a pet, which landlords can only refuse on reasonable grounds.
- Property Portal and Ombudsman: a new national property portal and mandatory landlord redress scheme are being introduced to improve accountability across the sector.
These are substantial changes. Working with a letting agent who understands the new framework, applies correct procedures from the outset, and keeps tenancy documentation compliant is no longer optional for landlords who want to avoid legal exposure. Propertymark and the NRLA both publish updated guidance for landlords navigating the new regime.
Thinking of Letting in Dickens Heath or Shirley?
The Main Street result is a clear example of what proactive tenant matching delivers. But it also reflects something broader: demand from professional tenants, families, and corporate applicants across Shirley and Dickens Heath remains strong, and well-presented properties at the right price continue to let quickly.
If you own a property in either location and are considering letting for the first time, or reviewing whether your current agent is delivering the results your investment deserves, we have a detailed guide to the rental valuation process that is worth reading first: Letting Agents in Dickens Heath: Prepare for Your Rental Valuation.
If you own a rental property in Dickens Heath or Shirley and want to know what it could achieve in the current market, the Partridge Homes lettings team can provide a free, no-obligation rental valuation. We currently have professional tenants, families, and corporate applicants actively registered and searching, and there is every chance we already have the right match for your property. Speak to the team to find out more.
