London and Scotland were the only areas where prices did not rise in the period, RICS said. Very high rents for luxury properties have coming down slightly, bringing down the average

Rental price inflation is expected to outstrip house price inflation, estimated at 20%, over the next five years, with changes to stamp duty and relief on mortgage interest payments reducing incentives for buy-to-let landlords to build up large portfolios of properties.

28% more respondents to the survey thought that that landlords were likely to decrease the size of their portfolio over the next twelve months.

Simon Rubinsohn, RICS chief economist, said: "Not only are the headline price and rent series pointing to further increases over the course of this year, but more significantly, the medium term view of RICS professionals working up and down the country, is that both house prices and rents will over the medium term continue to grow at a faster pace than wages putting even greater pressure on affordability."

There are also plans to relax restrictions on building heights, and to allow land with so-called "low density" uses like car parks, to be built over.

Meanwhile prices in Central London's once-booming housing market are expected to decline. RICS said it "is the only area where near term prices expectations are negative, with the three month expectations series slipping to -15%, following a reading of zero last time round."