The rental market continues to perform strongly during the current national lockdown, fresh data shows.

According to Blinc UK’s tenant referencing data, there was just a 25% decrease in activity during January and February compared to the same pre-pandemic period in 2020.

Blinc UK says that despite the challenges of operating during a national lockdown, many agents it works with are processing the same volume of tenancies as they were at the start of last year.

Darren Bignall, director of Blinc UK, said: “Despite the introduction of a national lockdown on January 4, many letting agents hit the ground running in the New Year.

“Tenants’ desire to rent has been consistently high since the start of the year, during what can sometimes be a quieter time for the rental market. This led to many agents letting a high number of properties over a short period with a shortage of supply now starting to emerge.”

Bignall adds that with physical viewings being discouraged as a result of the pandemic, it is becoming increasingly common for agents to let properties from an initial virtual viewing.

He added: “Considering the current Covid restrictions, it’s remarkable how many new tenancies have been completed so far this year.

“The lettings industry has adapted to a new way of working and has performed impressively in the face of the pandemic.”