The average UK monthly rent has risen to over £1,000 for the first time, according to new data.

The stamp duty surcharge and the tailing off of mortgage interest tax relief have driven hundreds of thousands of landlords from the buy to let sector, new data suggests.

The government has been urged to implement pro-private rental sector policies in April’s Budget in order to promote long term investment in the private rental sector and reduce costs for tenants.

Landlords’ confidence in the buy-to-let sector has fallen to the lowest level in over a decade, according to the National Landlords Association (NLA).

Plans to introduce a scheme that would allow deposits to move between landlords instead of tenants putting down cash lump sum at the beginning of each tenancy, are being proposed by the government.