Zoopla says UK rents have risen by an average of £3,240 since Covid.

According to figures from Zoopla, the average annual rent on a new-to-let property is £3,240 more expensive than at the end of the coronavirus pandemic.

Rents started to rise in 2021 due to the lifting of the lockdown by tenants and demand for the limited number of available properties.

Annual rental costs have increased by 27% over those three years, while average incomes have increased by 19% over the same period.

However, the rate at which rents are rising is now the slowest for three years, the property portal said, as potential tenants face limits to what they can afford.

Tenants have faced a “red-hot” market in recent years, with potential tenants chasing every available property, and high demand driving up rents. Demand is about a third higher than before the pandemic.

He offered some applicants months’ rent, or forced agents to write CV-style letters to try to get ahead of the competition.

Zoopla said that there are signs of cooling in this market.

But those with the least to spend, in the cheapest areas, are now facing the biggest rent increases.

“With more tenants than homes for rent, people are looking for the best value for money,” said Richard Donnell, executive director of research at Zoopla.

“Within cities, rents are generally rising faster at the lower end of the market.”

This could affect low income earners as well as students.

Blyth Eling, a student at the University of Brighton who has a part-time job alongside her studies, spends more than £1,000 a month renting a room in a flat.

That told the BBC recently That residence took up “all my student debt.”

“It costs me virtually no money,” he said.

On average, rents for new properties are now 3.9 percent higher than a year ago, Zoopla said.

However, pockets of rapidly rising rents persist. Annual rent inflation in Northern Ireland was 10.5 per cent, compared with 1.3 per cent in London.

Among towns and cities, average rents are rising fastest in Rochdale (up 11.9% in a year) and Blackburn (up 10%) and Birkenhead (up 9%). Tenants are looking for areas in and around major cities, Zoopla said.

Zoopla tracks rents when homes become vacant and are re-let on the open market, which makes up about a quarter of the rental sector.

The property portal forecasts rents to rise at an average rate of 4% next year, with demand still outstripping supply.

This increase will come, in part, as a result of less properties being available from landlords.

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) said 31% of landlords plan to sell their rental properties in the next two years.

It wants changes to the housing tax and ends guarantees. No-fault eviction laws.

NRLA Chief Executive Ben Beadle said, “What tenants need is more choice. That means encouraging and supporting the majority of responsible landlords to stay and find good quality accommodation. Continue to provide accommodation”.

Agents say there are some simple ways to secure a rental property, including:

• Start looking well before the tenancy ends and sign up with multiple agents.
• Payslips, employment references, and references from previous landlords
• Build relationships with agents in the area, but be prepared to broaden your search
• Be sure of your budget and calculate how much you can offer.
• Be aware that some agents take a peek at properties on social media before listing them.

There are more points. Here And help with your rental rights. Here.