The buy-to-let sector is a cheap option for university students looking for affordable accommodation, says the National Landlords Association (NLA).

Richard Gard, NLA spokesman, said the governments support of the buy-to-let sector indicates that it has acknowledged the contribution it has made to students looking for housing.

His defence of the buy-to-let sector comes shortly after the president of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), Paul Diggory, appealed to the government to abolish tax relief for buy-to-let landlords.

Diggory claimed that buy-to-let landlords are making it more difficult for first-time buyers to buy as they are willing to pay higher prices for accommodation in areas favoured by both students looking to rent and people in their late 20s looking to buy a first home.

A study from consultancy Wrigglesworth this week showed that the value of the buy-to-let sector has grown by 30 times under Tony Blairs premiership to represent around 10% of the residential housing market.