Average rents barely moved between April and May despite strong annual performances in a couple of regions, Your Move data shows.

The agent’s rental tracker for May shows average rents grew just 0.05% over the month, increasing by 49p to £861.19.

The annual figures are up 3.06%, beating the inflation rate of 2.4%  – with the east midlands and south-west of England topping the tables with growth of 3% to £656 and £682 respectively.

The London market continued to cool, declining 0.2% annually to £1,273 per month – still easily the most expensive region in the index.

Wales also saw a fall in average rents, down 2% annually to £587 while the north-east remains the cheapest region for rentals, where the average property costs £536 following a fall of 1.6%.