In a sign of how prominent Build To Rent has become, this niche sector has now triggered a company to set up a dedicated awards event.

Rent magazine is to organise the event next April, with an array of categories to attract entries from investors, institutions, operators, designers, surveyors and legal experts involved in the BTR sector.

“With demand for rental properties rocketing, opportunities in the mid to high end Private Rental Sector are abundant for those companies that understand the new models, have the right relationships in place and are adjusting their offering to meet new customer requirements” explains a release for the new awards.

The awards will be accompanied by a conference “to help delegates navigate through the maze of information so they can position themselves as the natural partners of choice for PRS ventures” say the organisers.

The British Property Federation, which keeps a running total of BTR schemes, says there are 60,139 Build To Rent units built or in the pipeline across the UK; some 30,844 of these in London – where Build To Rent currently accounts for one in five new housing starts – and 29,295 elsewhere.

Yesterday we reported a new survey by Strutt & Parker, Stanhope and Network Homes suggesting that “an explosion” of Build To Rent schemes is on the horizon.