ESTATE agents are receiving hundreds of calls within an hour of posting a rental property in Bournemouth.

Director of estate agent Martin & Co Bournemouth, Philip Skorochod said: “Currently the rental market is the strongest I have ever seen it in the three years I’ve lived in Bournemouth.

“At the office we normally have twenty to thirty properties to rent in any particular month, currently I think we’ve got four.

“When we put an advert out for a nice property whereas we would expect 20 or 30 calls, we’re getting 100 or more within an hour and we have to remove the property from the market.

“It’s bedlam and I believe it’s not just us who have been affected but all agents in Bournemouth.”

Leaders Bournemouth have also experienced a dramatic increase in demand over the past year: " We have seen rental prices rising by 6.3% as well as an influx of investment buyers.

"The number of properties available to let has increased by just 3% in the last year, while the tenant demand has gone up by a whopping 70% so we certainly are not experiencing a drop in demand with tenants but now face having enough stock in the area to meet the demand at present."

Research by estate and lettings agent, Barrows and Forrester, has revealed that rental demand has increased in many areas across the UK during the pandemic.

There have been notable uplifts across 12 locations, with Bournemouth, Cambridge and Bristol among the areas seeing double-digit growth.

In Bournemouth, rental demand averaged at 66% in the second quarter of 2021, compared with 36% the previous year, an increase of 31%.

Mr Skorochod believes the main reason for the increase in demand is due to the relaxing of Covid restrictions: “A lot of people are thinking that they now can live in better areas like Bournemouth and maybe travel to London once or twice a week to do their work and so the mentality of how people are living has changed.”

“People have realised there’s more to life than living in a one up one down flat in the middle of London where you’re not allowed to go anywhere or do anything when we have a lockdown.”

“There’s very little property around now, not good property anyway.”

Residential lettings manager at Austin & Wyatt, Anna Tubbs said: “Video tours have allowed potential tenants to view the property even if they are unable to see it in person so there is currently a shortfall of properties within the BH postcode.

"The rental market is at a high demand.”