One- and two-bedroom apartments in central Oxford are being snapped up, often before they are even advertised on agents’ websites.

Simon Smith, of Thomas Merrifield, said: “We are always busy at this time of year and properties in the right location are let very quickly indeed.

“Three or four people queued up to have a look at a one-bedroom apartment we had in Littlegate Street, off St Aldates, last week.

“Young professional couples and singles want a place that is convenient and they know they have to move quickly to get the good ones.

“There is particular demand for modern, clean, purpose-built apartments with nice kitchens and bathrooms.

“People don’t want something that is old and dusty.” Lucie Wood, of agents Hamptons, agreed that demand for one- and two-bedroom properties was high.

She said: “Apartments in the £750 to £950 pcm range are particularly popular and stock is short.

“At this time of year, everything goes mad because of the start of the new term.

“It being Oxford, there are people doing doctorates, mature students coming over with their partners who don’t want student accommodation but are after something a bit better.

“There is a lot of demand for places that are near the Said Business School and Oxford Business Park. And, of course, Jericho and Summertown are always popular.”

Anna Merewether, of Chancellors’ Headington branch, said: “We are extremely busy with properties being let within a day of coming on the market, particularly those that are of a high standard.

“There is a really high turnover. Some properties that we took on last week didn’t even make it on to the website or into the papers because they went so quickly.

“Clients will take an apartment without even seeing it, if they like the look of the location, the pictures and the floor plan.

“Headington is always popular because of the hospital, Oxford Brookes University and the bus to London.

“We let a lot of one-bedroom apartments for around the £815 pcm mark and the two-bedroom ones we handled recently went for £1,150 pcm.

“A couple of two-bedroom flats we let in Manor Park were £995 pcm and we have another two-bed flat on our books for £1,050.

“No apartment ever stays on the books for long.

“We recently let an extremely high-end one bedroom apartment in London Road for £800 per month as a furnished property.

“It went to a professional who works locally and was let the same day it came on the market.”