London’s average rent has fallen 1.3% in the last year

Hamptons has used this month's rental index to analyse the effects of policy interventions on pricing - concluding that 'rent controls rarely work as intended.'

'This October data captures the fridge rather than the freezer stage of the pre-Budget chill,' comments one top buying agent.

'Increased stock levels and resilient budgets suggest a more balanced market is emerging,' says Foxtons.