Buy-to-let investments with a tenant already in situ are most in demand in Glasgow, Leeds and Bristol, says lettings management platform, Howsy.

The platform’s research found that Cardiff was the city with the highest number of tenants in situ, though this was just 3.7 per cent of all properties listed.

Cardiff was followed by Oxford at 3.1 per cent and Leeds at 2.9 per cent.

Across 23 major UK cities, just 0.8 per cent of all properties currently listed for sale were found to come with a tenant in situ.

The platform’s chief executive Calum Brannan says providing the tenant is a good one, buying with occupants in situ can bring a number of benefits.

“Providing the tenant is the sort of person you want to rent to in the first place, purchasing a buy-to-let with a tenant in situ is the modern-day equivalent of the golden fleece for UK landlords.

“It can take a whole lot of the headache out of the initial start-up phase of your investment, reducing the initial rental void period usually suffered while finding a tenant, as well as saving on agent finding fees.

“Of course, you may want to revamp your buy-to-let to appeal to a certain market segment and so having a tenant in situ may not seem like a great idea. However, on the contrary, it can also provide a perfect platform for this work.

“Not only do you have time to plan your property overhaul while the tenancy runs down, but you’re also earning additional income while you do, which will help towards the costs. Unfortunately, buy-to-let properties for sale with a tenant in situ are few and far between, although there are certain pockets where you have a better chance than others.”