The latest Property & Homemover Report, released by marketing consultancy TwentyCi, has shown a sharp rise in the number of rental properties on offer in the UK’s largest cities.

However, the report – a review of the UK housing market up to the end of 2017 – also found that demand for rental homes outstrips available stock in London, with new buy-to-let policies causing a shortage of supply in the capital.

The report revealed that, in the last quarter of 2017, there was a marked rise in the availability of rental versus sales properties on the market in the UK’s top 10 largest cities (excluding London). The only exception to this rule was Glasgow.

Manchester, in fact, now has a ratio of 50:50 when it comes to dividing rental and sales properties, while Newcastle has more properties for rent than for sale.

By contrast, the report suggests that London is losing its status as the rental capital of the UK, with fewer rental properties than those available to buy. The share of rental properties on the market in London ended 2017 down 4% on the same period the year before. The most affected areas were ‘East Central’ and ‘West Central London’, with the share of the market down 14% and 10% respectively.