We are seeing more and more people enquiring after rented property to tide them over until the mortgage famine eases.  This may be the start of a longer term trend towards renting rather than buying, especially as London property is still attracting enormous interest from overseas investors. Foreign investors are stepping in to fill the gap left by British buy-to-let operators, who have largely squeezed out.

Foreign investment is likely to be spurred on even more by the rent rises which have pushed yields to 4.71 per cent, according to FindaProperty.com, comparing very favourably with the stock market.

Because overseas investors overseas investors overwhelmingly go to London, the long term result is likely to be an even greater disconnect between the London property market and the rest of the country, with both prices and rents in the capital rising as the provinces flounder.