Overseas and domestic students have returned to the Central London lettings market ‘in force’ so far this month, according to Dexters.

The agency, which has 12 branches in Prime London, says students account for 25% of all tenants it has registered in September.

Despite Covid-19 challenges, student tenants are returning to the capital to seek private rented accommodation in the capital’s prime addresses, says Dexters.

The top five locations for student renters are Bloomsbury, Fitzrovia, South Kensington, Chelsea and Notting Hill.

Over the last month, 450 new students a week have been registering with Dexters, adding to 100,000 buyers and tenants already looking for homes in the capital with the agency’s 70 branches.

It points out that London has one of the largest populations of overseas students of any city in the world and that this group of renters is starting to return post-pandemic ahead of the new academic year.

Overseas student renters from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, the Middle East and a host of European countries have shown interest in London rental property in recent weeks.

“Each summer our Central London offices, in particular Bloomsbury, Fitzrovia and South Kensington, receive a wave of new student registrations seeking lettings accommodation,” says Richard Page, Dexters’ marketing director.

“This year, some industry commentators were anxious about whether the student accommodation market would return due to uncertainties related to Covid-19 such as travel and social distancing, alongside the ongoing lack of clarity surrounding fees for EU students due to the Brexit discussions.”

“This September the student market has returned in force to the capital’s lettings sector and our findings underline the continuing appeal of London and global confidence in the UK university system and the calibre of courses being offered,” he says.