The lettings market is strong compared with a quieter sales market, says Tasuya Kasai from Japan Homes in Golders Green.

“Rents have risen, particularly for popular properties,” he explains. “High demand and a lack of homes are both pushing up values.”

Most Japan Homes clients are from the corporate sector, where Japanese workers relocate to London for two to four years. “These tenants are a good prospect for landlords, as they are stable and there’s nothing to worry about with the tenancies,” adds Kasai.

A number of tenants like the best of both worlds, combining old and new. For those keen on such hybrid homes, Benham and Reeves Lettings is marketing apartments in a converted Edwardian school at Barnsbury Place in Islington with rental flats starting at £350 a week.

“Blending Edwardian architecture with contemporary interiors, Barnsbury Place is a rare find – stunning apartments, affordable prices, and close to the City and West End,” says director Marc von Grundherr. “With high ceilings, period features and high-spec finishes, these apartments are the epitome of style.”

Von Grundherr adds: “Apartments at Barnsbury Place are renting quickly – a sign of the strong lettings market throughout the capital. A recent survey revealed that tenants looking for rentals property are at an eight-year high and twice the numbers of 2007. London reports the highest demand, with 73 per cent of agents saying they’ve more tenants on their books than available properties available. With first-time buyers still finding it difficult to obtain mortgages, this imbalance is getting worse.”

Kelly Smith of Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward St John’s Wood reports competitively priced property is achieving in excess of asking prices. “We’ve noticed a steady number of corporate relocation enquiries, which is unusual for the time of year.”