Many Britons are remaining in the rental sector, whether they can afford to purchase a home or not, because of the freedom and lower costs involved, says the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA).

The association has said that it expects the sector to increase its market share from 11% of all UK housing to 15% over the next 10 years because of such trends, adding that on the whole renting had proved itself to be cheaper for most Britons.

ARLA noted that 900,000 Buy-to-Let mortgages had already been taken out in the UK, making up around a third of the private rented sector.