Void times in the private rented sector have dropped by 30% since the start of the year, according to Propertmark.

At an average of two weeks, the void time recorded in August matches the previous low, also two weeks, recorded in September 2015. Since then, the turn around time on a property has been fluctuating between three and five weeks, the research shows.

Overall, the average number of weeks a property is void for has been 3.2 since 2015 – 74% of an average calendar month.

Landlords in today’s market are, according to Propertymark, only losing 49% of a month’s income, a saving of 25%.

Maxine Fothergill, president of ARLA Propertymark commented: “The decrease in void times won’t come as a surprise to agents as it’s a direct result of the increased demand meaning properties that come back to market are letting incredibly quicky.”

However, Fothergill says the current void times are about right and any further drop could cause issues.

She continued: “There are a number of things that agents need to have done when a property is void and whilst we aim to be as proactive as possible by pre-booking in checks such as gas and electrical safety, two weeks are sometimes necessary.

“A property may need repairs or redecoration and whilst all properties are cleaned, in current times it’s more important than ever that the property has a thorough clean.”

To help meet the current demand, Fothergill says she has been continuing the use of video viewings to try to discount those who are uninterested quickly as well as pre-vetting prospective tenants but says demand has been so great that prospective tenants have been trying to secure properties they haven’t yet seen.

“People are so desperate not to miss out they are trying to secure properties over the phone. This is completely against how we work however, so we do tell all applicants that they need to see the property first. Sending a video can help to weed out those who would turn the property down on a viewing which saves staff time and helps to keep the turnaround time low,” she added.