High levels of demand for rental properties has led to tenants renting properties within an average of 13 days in the first three months of 2011, compared to 17 days in the first quarter of 2010, according to Countrywide.

Countrywide’s 1,300 estate and lettings agency offices also saw a 51% uplift in demand from tenants in the new year, a greater increase than that seen at the start of last year (46%) from quarter four 2009.

The estate agency group reported a “significant”” rise in the proportion of small scale buy-to-let landlords coming back into the market