It now takes just 20 days for the average rental property to find a tenant

Rightmove has identified which locations are being particularly affected by rental supply shortages - highlighting the effect on seaside resorts as the "staycation" boom continues.

House prices "are expected to continue to climb higher over the year to come," says the RICS, "albeit the pace of increase is likely to subside somewhat in the months ahead."

"It still feels like it’s more of a tenants market" in prime London, says Knight Frank's Head of Lettings, "but we are going into the busiest period of the year and I would expect supply to come down.