Average UK rents have increased for the sixth consecutive quarter, according to the Deposit Protection Service (DPS).

The protector of deposits, which safeguards 1.8m rent securities, says that average rents now stand at £849 a month: a £15 (1.80%) increase on £834 in Q4 2021, and a £49 (6.13%) increase on £800 in Q1 2021.

According to the organisation’s quarterly Rent Index, London rents have risen the most in value, increasing £34 (2.46%) on Q4 2021 and £90 (6.79%) since Q1 2021.

The report also describes how flats saw the largest quarterly rise in rents during Q1 2022 — a first for the property category since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with rents rising £16 (1.89%) to £863.

A survey by the organisation during Q1 2022 also highlights how 15% of tenants who responded paid more than advertised rents to secure their property.

Matt Trevett, managing director at the DPS, said: “Consistent quarterly rent rises – coupled with survey results that suggest that a proportion of tenants are overpaying to secure a property – underline the current intense demand for, and tight supply of, rental homes in the UK.

“Rents in London are also rebounding strongly, with average rents for flats in the capital increasing by £111 or just under 9% during the past 12 months – more than three times the falls seen during 2020, when tenants perhaps sought out more spacious homes outside of the capital.

“Accelerating rents for flats could signal the beginning of the end of the pandemic trend of renters leaving cities.”

Between Q1 2021 and Q1 2022, all UK regions registered an increase in average rents, with 10 out of 12 experiencing increases of more than 4%.

The largest percentage increase during the past 12 months took place in the West Midlands, where rents rose £49 (7.57%), according to the organisation.

Rents during Q1 2022 decreased marginally in the South West by £1 (-0.12%), while rents in Yorkshire fell £2 or -0.34%, it added.