This country doesn’t have enough homes. That’s not a personal opinion or a political calculation. It’s a simple statement of fact.

For decades, the pace of house building has been sluggish at best. As a result, the number of new homes has not kept pace with our growing population. And that, in turn, has created a market that fails to work for far too many people.

The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

Our broken housing market is one of the greatest barriers to progress in Britain today. Whether buying or renting, the fact is that housing is increasingly unaffordable – particularly for ordinary working class people who are struggling to get by.

The RT Hon Theresa May MP

The London rental market is drastically different to that seen in 2020 when landlords were forced to heavily reduce asking rents to secure a tenant and avoid lengthy void periods due to an exodus of market activity from the capital.

Marc von Grundherr director of a London agency Benham and Reeves

In fact, the surplus of available rental stock that accumulated due to the pandemic has now plummeted and this has been driven by a staggered return to the workplace and, in particular, a huge influx of demand from overseas students.

Marc von Grundherr director of a London agency Benham and Reeves

We’ve also seen a huge increase in the number of tenancy renewals which have even exceeded 2019 levels and so while some areas are yet to see rental values return to the pre-pandemic norm, it’s only a matter of time as the market looks set to continue to this strong return to form throughout 2022.

Marc von Grundherr director of a London agency Benham and Reeves

London life is rapidly resuming, with the race to find a rental property in the capital now as competitive as it’s ever been. Employees heading back to their London-based jobs, combined with a typically buoyant student market, has resulted in our current enquiry levels topping those for 2019.

James Cameron Vesper Group director

In fact, the rental market is now even busier than the sales market, which was unthinkable just a few months ago. With demand outstripping supply, rents are increasing and - if the limited availability of properties continues - it won't be long before they surpass 2019 levels.

James Cameron Vesper Group director