Houses renting out six days faster on average than a year earlier, study finds

Rental houses are being snapped up by tenants six days faster on average than they were a year earlier, analysis has found.

In the last three months of 2020, houses were taking 13 days to be rented out typically, compared with an average of 19 days in the fourth quarter of 2019, Zoopla found.

By contrast, the average time to rent for flats has remained relatively unchanged, at around 16 days.

• House, 13 days

• Flat, 16 days

Across the UK, the average rent stands at £920 per month, the report said.

The coronavirus pandemic has prompted some buyers and renters to search for larger homes.

Grainne Gilmore, head of research at Zoopla, said: “The search for space among renters is coming across loud and clear from the data, with houses in major cities now being rented out more quickly than a year ago.”