Now is the best time to put a property on the rental market. Being the busiest time of the year it's the time when landlords are most likely to get the rent they want.

The market is "extremely buoyant," says Hooke and MacDonald; "busiest ever . . . unprecedented," says Christies; "it took off early," reports Sherry FitzGerald and "really healthy" claims Home Locators.

With colleges pulling up the shutters, students are obviously a contributing factor. They provide the impetus from the bottom of the market, reports David Lewis of Sherry FitzGerald. "We have had an exceptionally busy July and August. Parents started looking for places for their children earlier and this created a competitive element in the market." And the Quality Bus Corridor along the Stillorgan Road is already having an impact in the rental market, he says. "Anywhere with good access to the city is always going to do well and the QBC will be a key factor." Developments like Seamount, off Stillorgan Road, are highly sought after, he says, and nearby Merrion Grove, as well as Galloping Green a couple of miles further out. Hooke and MacDonald have experienced a 38 per cent rise in the numbers of lettings this August as compared to last year and new enquiries have in fact doubled. "Our Let on the Net facility is attracting over 4,000 enquiries per week, leading to a strong take-up of available units," says Carina Warner, manager of Hooke and MacDonald's residential letting division. "However, we would still caution property owners that no matter how buoyant the market is, unless a property has a realistic rent on it, that it will lie unlet for a much longer period than would normally be the case."

Existing tenants are slow to take chances. "There has been a 50 per cent increase in the number of re-lettings to existing tenants which indicates that these tenants are prepared to pay the increased rent rather than look for new accommodation with steadily rising rent levels." Rents tend to rise by between five and and 10 per cent between lettings though increases to existing tenants are usually slightly less than the market value of the apartment since by re-letting the landlord avoids the risk of a vacant property. Because this is a traditionally busy time of year, investors with strict cash-flow deadlines might find all their properties vacant at the same time. Letting agents advise them to stagger their rental portfolios so that properties come up for renewal at different times. One-bedroom apartments are the most popular element in the market at the moment since they particularly suit couples on two salaries. City centre one-bedroom apartments go from £500 in developments like Arran Quay up to £650 in Jervis Street, Smithfield and on the southside of the quays. In the suburbs, in developments like Merrion Grove and Galloping Green, one-beds let for between £650 and £800.

Two-bedroom apartments are traditionally slower to rent than one-beds so there is good value out there. Anything in the £750 to £800 range moves well. Hooke and MacDonald has an apartment at Belfield Park, Stillorgan Road, available at £800 per month while two waterfront two-bedroom apartments in Dun Laoghaire cost £900 a month.

Two-beds in Seamount, Merrion Grove and Galloping Green run from £750 to £900 at Sherry FitzGerald while Christies has a top of the range apartment with two bedrooms in The Sweepstakes for £2,500 a month.

A definite trend just now is the move in the direction of three-bedroom apartments. "A lot of people are coming in in groups of three and are willing to pay between £900 and £1,200 for a three bedroom apartment. There is a real scarcity," says Katherina Cahill.

Confirming the trend towards three-beds is Audrey Strong, of Sherry FitzGerald. She says the three-bedroom house is popular with the professionals. "They want the extra space and like the idea of a garden," she says. "But people certainly want to be as close to the city centre as possible."

THE advantage of three people sharing is obvious. Apart from the need for a garden the three-bed unit inevitably would have more space, with a larger kitchen and possibly two bathrooms.

As to location, the inner suburbs are all doing well, areas such as Harold's Cross, Terenure, Phibsboro, Drumcondra and off the South Circular Road. Rents for threebeds close to the city cost around £800 while out in the suburbs, such as Lucan, they cost about £650 to £700. Sherry FitzGerald recently let a three-bed semi in Marsham Court, in Stillorgan for £800 while Christies have a three-bed penthouse at Seamount, in Mount Merrion, for £2,000 a month.

The corporate sector is thriving because families like to move in line with the school and college year, says Katherina Cahill, of Home Locators. "A lot of people are re-locating from abroad just now from places such as the United States, France and England," she says. "They are looking for family homes within easy access of schools, mainly in the south city - such areas as Dublin 2, 4, 6, 8 and also 3," she says. "Many of the contracts in the international firms are up for renewal at this time and anyone with a budget of over £2,000 a month will have a lot to choose from at the moment."

Among the properties on the books of Home Locators are a five-bedroom home in Granville Park, Blackrock, for £2,500. A four/five bedroom home on Wellington Road, in Ballsbridge, is available for £3,000 while the top two floors of a house in Belgrave Square, with two bedrooms, is available for £2,000 a month.

Sherry FitzGerald has a six-bedroom detached property on Orwell Park with its own indoor heated swimming pool, as well as a piano room. For rent at £5,500 it is aimed at the diplomatic market. Christies has a four-bedroom house in Belgrave Square, in Monkstown, for £2,000 a month. Roi McCann, from Christies, says many tenants see renting as a long-term proposition. As a result, tenants are becoming fussier. "People are more aware of their rights and they won't just sign any letting agreement. They will have their own solicitor look over agreements and may want special clauses."

"The quality of property being let has certainly never been better," she says. However, although the market is busy, landlords have no right to expect a bonanza.

SHE says the average corporate client is very "tuned-in" to what to expect in the market. "These people have travelled around a lot and do their homework before they come." They are also competing with the corporate sector. "The corporate average family looking for accommodation has a budget of between £2,000 and £2,500 while a single person will have between £850 to £1,200. In some cases the company will pay the total rent up-front for the year."