The number of "reluctant landlords" in the private sector ia falling, according to research from ARLA.
Over the past three months there has been a decrease from 28% to 21% in the proportion of rental property coming on to the market because it cannot be sold. This also represents an even sharper drop of 21% on the figure of 42% recorded just last year.
As these "reluctant landlords" disappear from the sector, tenants will be faced with stronger competition for available properties.
The South-East (excludfing London) has the highest proportion of letting agents claiming that they have more applicants than properties, whereas London, quite surprisingly, has the lowest, with just 17%.
There has also been a fall in the number of tenants struggling to meet rental payments. The current figure at 35% remains high but represents a fall of 5% from last years figure of 40%.
Ian Potter from ARLA said: "While the departure of accidental landlords from the sector may be a good thing for the individuals involved, there is a real worry about the level of rental property supply across the whole country"