A campaign group has protested outside letting agencies in Bristol, protesting against what they describe as “bidding wars” between rival tenants.

The group – Acorn, which describes itself as a union for tenants – is quoted in local media in the city as seeking to make Bristol ‘bid-free’ and has so far protested at four agencies which it claims conducts bidding wars. 

“We will be campaigning on this in earnest … taking action against the letting agents that continue this shocking practice and making sure that 2023 is the year that Bristol becomes the first ‘bid-free city” one activist has told the Bristol Post. 

He continues: “Rental bidding wars, which have quickly become commonplace in Bristol in recent years, see letting agents pitting prospective tenants against one another to force up the price of rent. This practice is driving many renters deeper into poverty, fuelling the cost of living crisis and breaking apart communities.

“The new campaign, Ban the Bids, draws attention to the broken renting system that exists in our city and calls on letting agents across Bristol to put an end to the bidding wars that have become a key part of that.

“Renters in our city are being hammered. Letting agents are cashing in on the housing crisis by playing renters off against each other to force up the price of rents. These ‘bidding wars’ are destroying our communities.”

Demand for rental property has far outstripped supply in Bristol, as in much of the country, for many months, although key rental market indices such as those from HomeLet and Goodlord have suggested a tail-off in the mismatch in the approach to Christmas.

And a new England-wide index from Midlands lettings agency Barrows and Forrester shows demand easing in much of the country.

Agency managing director James Forrester says: “Rental demand is down across all but four areas of England and the rising cost of living and surging energy prices will be playing a significant part in this decline.

“Tenants are fully aware that landlords are seeing their own expenses rise, not least mortgage payments, and are passing these increasing costs to their tenants. As such, renters are choosing to stay put at the moment with tenancy agreements that were signed before the current economic crisis instead of exposing themselves to a market where prices are likely to get higher and higher.

“As the cost of living crisis eases, whenever that might be, rental demand will certainly increase. But for now, tenants are staying put.”