A local firm of leading property specialists is predicting the amount of people looking to rent homes will continue to rise over the coming year.

Shropshire-based Nock Deighton revealed that local demand was mirroring recent figures released by the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA), which revealed the number of tenants on their members' books had hit record highs at the end of 2010.

Similarly, the latest Residential Lettings Survey from the influential Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) found that more than a third of landlords had reported an increase in tenant demand, while 39% had seen an increase in rental levels.

Dawn Clarke, Director of Nock Deighton, said: "Recent surveys from both the RICS and ARLA back the local trend we've been seeing - that more and more people are looking to rent. We expect this trend to continue into 2011, as even though demand for rental properties continues to exceed supply, there are still suitable properties being added to the market on a weekly basis."

Formed in 1831, Nock Deighton is one of the Midlands' most well-established and respected firms of estate agents, lettings agents, block management agents, chartered surveyors and auctioneers. The company stands at the forefront of the modern property sector by embracing up-to-the-minute technology and industry best practice, and has a firm focus on achieving the very best results through a full range of specialist property-related services and dedicated staff.