Prospective tenants in Gloucester have to move the quickest as the average property was let within 14 days of being advertised last month, according to research.

The analysis also shows the average time it took to rent a home was 15 days in Crawley and Mansfield, and 16 days in Cambridge and Aldershot. 

Meanwhile, the rental market is moving more slowly in Middlesborough and Gloucester, where tenants are taking twice as long to make a decision and properties are renting on average within 29 days. 

In Burnley and Blackburn it was 28 days, while Wigan and Leicester were both 27 days on average, OnTheMarket research found.

In London, Bexley is not only the fastest borough in which to sell a property, it is also the quickest place to rent, taking an average of 16 days, the quickest across the city. 

Meanwhile, in the slowest borough, Kensington & Chelsea, it took twice as long – 32 days – with City of Westminster taking a slightly shorter 28 days.

Jason Tebb, president of OnTheMarket, said: “The rental market remains highly competitive, with some unlucky tenants finding they have very little time to make a decision, particularly if they want to secure a good property at a reasonable price.”