A major expansion in Britain's private rented sector is on the cards as major financial institutions, including banks, insurers and pension funds, prepare to invest billions of pounds into providing homes for rent.

Since the end of the Second World War, these mighty institutions have generally avoided much involvement in providing accommodation, because they have been unsure of the returns and fear the prospect of complex management problems.

However, with equities in such poor shape, interest rates at rock bottom and global financial systems dangerously stretched, bricks and mortar is becoming an increasingly attractive option as rents continue to climb.

The latest figures from HM Revenue and Customs indicate that financial institutions ploughed £2.2 billion into houses and apartments in the UK in the 12 months to April 2011 - a 189% increase on the previous year, when the total was £765 million.

Jeremy Raj, head of the residential team at City lawyers Wedlake Bell, says: "There has been a startling jump in purchases of UK residential property by institutional investors.

"Institutions are being attracted to residential property because of improving market fundamentals, including high tenant demand, high rents and a supply shortage that shows no immediate signs of abating.

"It will be interesting to see whether this surge is able to maintain its momentum in the year ahead. One area which has seen strong investment is student accommodation."

Rents rose for nine consecutive months to November, to an average of £720 per month. And Wedlake Bell says the shortage of homes in the South East that is underpinning high rents is unlikely to be alleviated in the short term.

Jeremy explains: "One effect of the credit crunch was to freeze the new build pipeline, meaning the current shortage of properties on the market is unlikely to abate in the near term. Unsold housing stock from the new build boom prior to the credit crunch has now been cleared up, making the current shortage of quality rented accommodation more acute.

"In addition, it seems unlikely that any public sector-led affordable homes initiative will meet the shortage of affordable homes. The government's proposal to extend the Right to Buy scheme might actually mean that more affordable housing is taken out of the public sector."