If you own a well-presented property in Solihull, Knowle, Dorridge, or Dickens Heath, there is a specific and immediate demand you may not have considered. Professional footballers relocating to the West Midlands need homes, and they need them fast. Partridge Homes is currently seeking properties on behalf of sports clients ahead of the new season, and the pipeline of demand has never been stronger.
The Track Record Behind the Claim
During the 2025/26 season, Partridge Homes successfully relocated all 19 of Birmingham City Football Club’s new signings. Not most of them. Every single one.
That record covers the full process: initial property search, private viewings, tenancy negotiation, and key handover. In some cases, the team was instructed the day before a signing was finalised, sourced suitable properties immediately, and conducted viewings upon the player’s arrival. When Marvin Ducksch arrived in England, a luxury furnished home in one of the area’s most sought-after locations was secured within days.
That kind of turnaround is only possible because of an established network, deep local knowledge, and a clear understanding of what professional athletes and their families actually need.
Partridge Homes has won the British Property Awards for Best Letting Agent in Solihull four years running, and the 2025/26 season produced the best opening four months for new lettings in the agency’s history.
Why Demand Is Growing Right Now
Birmingham City’s return to the Championship brought a wave of new signings and relocations. That demand continues into the 2026/27 season. West Bromwich Albion, also competing in the Championship, generates its own steady flow of relocation requirements. And on 17 April 2026, Coventry City confirmed their promotion back to the Premier League for the first time since 2001 — a significant development that will trigger a substantial wave of new player signings, each of whom will need a home in the West Midlands.
Three clubs. Three separate relocation pipelines. All within reach of Solihull.
What Footballer Tenants Actually Look For
One of the most persistent misconceptions is that every professional footballer wants a £10,000 per month mansion. That is not the case. The requirements across Partridge Homes’ sports client base span a wide range of property types and budgets:
- Modern apartments for single players relocating alone
- Executive family homes for players moving with partners and children
- Gated or private properties for those who place a premium on security
- Fully furnished luxury residences for players arriving at short notice
- Mid-market rental homes for loan signings on shorter contracts
What most sports clients share is a need for good parking, modern interiors, privacy, and straightforward access to the Midlands motorway network. Properties in Solihull, Knowle, Dorridge, and Dickens Heath consistently tick those boxes, combining easy access to training facilities with the kind of quiet, low-footfall residential streets that players and their families prefer.
At the top end, the agency has placed tenants in properties at £7,000pcm off-market and listed residences at £15,000pcm, letting within days when the specification was right.
Your Property May Never Need to Go Online
A significant proportion of Partridge Homes’ sports relocation work happens entirely off-market. In many cases, the team knows what a client is looking for before a suitable property becomes available. That means your property could be matched directly with an incoming sports client without being advertised on the major property portals at all.
For landlords who value discretion, that is a meaningful advantage. There are no public listings, no open viewings, and no advertising of your address. The process is handled privately, with the agency acting as the sole point of contact between landlord and incoming tenant.
Are Footballer Tenants Good for Landlords?
Every tenancy is subject to the appropriate checks and individual circumstances, but sports relocations carry several characteristics that landlords tend to find reassuring.
Professional footballers typically need accommodation quickly and for a defined period. Most signings require 12-month tenancy agreements, which provides clear planning for the landlord. Rent is frequently paid promptly, often via club payroll arrangements. And because the player’s club has a reputational interest in the arrangement going smoothly, there is an additional layer of accountability that is not always present in standard lettings.
The pace of football transfers does create its own demands. A player can sign for a club on a Thursday and need a home by the weekend. That is precisely why clubs, agents, and players’ representatives need a letting agent with an established local network and the capacity to act at short notice. Landlords who register their interest with Partridge Homes are in a position to benefit from that speed rather than being caught out by it.
The Solihull Rental Market: Context for Landlords
The average monthly private rent in Solihull was £1,259 in April 2026, up from £1,245 twelve months earlier (ONS, 2026). Across the borough, average rents now sit between £1,300 and £1,450pcm, with family homes in the most sought-after postcodes reaching well above £2,000pcm. In the B91 postcode, family homes regularly command between £2,000 and £3,000pcm.
Supply remains tight. New-build completions have not kept pace with demand, and the borough’s reputation for good schools, green space, and straightforward access to the wider motorway network continues to draw tenants in. Void periods are low across most postcodes, and rental growth has been steady.
For landlords considering whether to bring a property to market, or whether to switch from a standard lettings arrangement to a more targeted one, the conditions are favourable. And for those with properties that fit the sports relocation profile, the timing is particularly good.
What Partridge Homes Needs From Landlords
The agency is actively looking for properties across Solihull, Knowle, Dorridge, Dickens Heath, and the surrounding areas. You do not need to have your property advertised already, and you do not need to have made a firm decision about renting. An initial conversation is enough to establish whether your property is likely to suit one of the incoming sports clients.
The Sports & Entertainment relocation service covers everything from honest rental valuations and private property matching through to tenancy negotiation and ongoing management. The team understands both the local rental market and the specific demands of professional sport, and has the relationships with clubs, agents, and player representatives to act quickly when a requirement comes in.
If you own a property in the area and want to understand whether it could work for a footballer or sports professional, the Partridge Homes team is the right starting point. Contact Partridge Homes to arrange a confidential rental valuation and find out more about how the sports relocation service works. The clients are there. The properties are what’s needed.
