The number of properties being rented rather than bought for weekday or weekend use or as holiday home has hit a record high, Hamptons International claims.

The Hamptons International Lettings Index – which uses data from 90,000 homes let by the Countrywide Group – found the number of properties rented as second homes in Great Britain reached 13,680 in 2017. This was 136% more than in 2007 when there were just 5,800.

The average rent of a second home was also found to be 24% higher than a main property at £1,060 per month, reaching £2,030 in London.

Aneisha Beveridge, analyst at Hamptons International, said: “The number of people renting second homes has reached a record high.

“The additional Stamp Duty on second home purchases introduced in April 2016 increased buyers’ upfront costs and resulted in more people deciding to rent a second home rather than buy.

“The places second home renters are choosing include a mix of town and country.

“Second home rental hotspots reflect today’s lifestyle choices from the pied-à-terres in towns and cities, close to work, schools and all the amenities that city life has to offer, to rural and coastal locations perfect for escaping the trappings of a busy urban life.”

Separately, the average costs of a new let during May rose to £953 per month, up 1.3% year-on-year, the index found.

This was a slowdown from the 1.9% growth in April.

Inner London and the North of England both saw annual drops in new rents, declining 0.6% and 0.1% respectively.

This put average rents for inner London at £2,550 and at £622 in the North.