Pictured above: Nicola Edden

More and more people are being forced to rent rather than buy, according to a housing market specialist.

And Nicola Edden, residential lettings manager at the Stratford-upon-Avon office of agents Bigwood, said a fundamental change in the market could be taking place.

The problem however is that not enough homes are being made available for let to satisfy demand, and she appealed to property owners of all types to consider the rental option.

Mrs Edden said the surge in the number of people looking to rent followed the well-publicised problems in obtaining mortgages, hefty deposit requirements and the general economic weakness as people worried about their jobs, reluctant to take on big financial responsibilities as a result.

Owners, who may have held off for some time putting their homes up for sale given the continued difficult market conditions, were trying to take advantage of the traditionally more buoyant spring/early summer period, yet might well be better picking up a steady income from renting instead.

The imbalance was affecting everything from flats to five-bedroom homes; town centres to country properties.

"It is everything," said Mrs Edden. "There are simply too many tenants and not enough properties.

She said Bigwood's rental stock was at one point down to a mere handful of properties when normally there would be a substantial holding list.

Prospective tenants were right across the spectrum - from elderly couples to young people leaving the parental home for the first time.

"Demand for rental is going up and up. And, as a result, rents themselves are going up - probably the best they have been for a couple of years. And people are paying the asking prices. One week recently we had new tenants starting every day.

"Unless things dramatically change, and the mortgage situation improves, then many people simply won't be able to afford to buy and are going to have to rent.

"I would strongly urge owners to take advantage of this opportunity. Owners are saying to themselves - let's put the house up for sale and see what happens. Yet we could be getting their properties let very quickly, giving them an income starting straight away."

While in the worst of the housing market more homes had come up for rent because people were unable to sell, this had tailed off, she added.

For more information about CP Bigwood please visit their website here: www.bigwood.uk.com