From a trade body’s latest Private Rented Sector Report it shows that during December, 32% of lettings agents members had seen their clients (landlords) increasing rents and the majority of the UK will see rents rise due to the supply and demand ever widening ratio.

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During December the percentage of tenants able to negotiate a drop in their rent fell from 1.6% in November down to 1.1%, which is the lowest since the trade body started the reports.

The members were also asked about their predictions for the PRS which found 84% of agents being extremely bullish when saying that without doubt rents will continue to be increased this year. This is virtually 20% higher than a year ago when the letting agents were asked the same question with 65% being confident about higher rents.

A spokesperson for the trade body said: “Since the tenant fees ban came into effect, our data shows that rents reached an all-time high last year. While we have seen a slight drop in the number of agents witnessing landlords increasing rents since then, overall rents remain high and now it seems that tenants are finding it harder than ever to negotiate a reduction in rent.

“As rents continue to rise, tenants will find it even more difficult to find suitable accommodation. Now that we have a new government in place, it’s important that long overdue legislative changes are implemented to make the market attractive again for both tenants and landlords.”