Renting property can be a frustrating business for owners and tenants alike.

Now home search agent Emma Parmenter is launching a service which aims to make it quicker and easier.

She said: "It's like speed-dating for people looking to rent."

Her Locate2Brighton venture will involve monthly meetings for hopeful tenants and those who want to rent out their properties so they can meet in an informal setting.

Emma, 35, came up with the idea after realising the market was shifting.

As property prices continue to go through the roof, renting has become the only option for an increasing number of people.

With one-bedroom flats in the private sector commanding at least £500 a month, the cost of living alone can take a hefty bite out of even well-paid professionals' monthly incomes.

Emma, from Hove, said: "I'm inundated with people wanting to rent and house-share at the moment.

"Last year everyone was looking to buy but this year everyone wants to rent.

"The meetings are intended for a mix of people wanting to rent, people renting out a room and people wanting a flat as well as a flatmate.

"We'll get them all together as an informal way of getting to know each other rather than them having to traipse round different places."

Terraced houses in Brighton and Hove are now the third most expensive to buy in England and Wales, outstripped only by Greater London and Windsor.

The average monthly rent for a one-bedroom flat in Brighton and Hove is currently £613, equivalent to a mortgage which would need an income of around £30,000 per year to finance.

Yet the average household income in Brighton and Hove is less than £20,000.

Emma hopes Locate2Brighton's meetings will take pressure off people who want to rent but have no time to hunt for rooms.

She said: "Many people cannot afford to get on to the property ladder and can't afford a mortgage.

"By sharing, two lots of rent are better than one.

"A lot of people want to share and don't know who to share with. Also people don't have a lot of time - they may only be able to look at somewhere on Saturday, their day off, and by the time Saturday comes around someone else may have got their first."

Former student Lewis Hannam, 24, knows the pitfalls only too well.

He came to Brighton last September and is already on his third move.

He said: "I was rushed into finding a place to begin with because I didn't have much time before my course started.

"At the first place it was like living in a military barracks. My landlady watched over me when I was cooking and we had to damp-dust our room once a week but at the time I was desperate."

Lewis thought Emma's speed-renting service would be a great help to people like him.

He said: "There is always the potential for problems in a new place. It's a big deal moving in with someone and it can be difficult when you're living with someone day in, day out.

"The service would take a lot of the pressure out of looking for a house and give me a chance to get to know the people first and get a feel for who they are."

Emma, who will hold meetings in her spare time, hopes to involve letting agents too so hopeful tenants could find the right room as well as the right housemate or flatmate.

There will be no charge to agents but a £10 fee for those wanting to rent.

Emma said: "I'm trying to encourage letting agents to attend with their property lists and diaries to book appointments on the evening. I don't want to step on their toes.

"I will also have up-to-date property listing for people to view on the night which will save them the time of having to travel from agent to agent."

Another potential future client is Lucy Masoud, 25.

She has spent months looking for places to rent and thinks a speed-renting service could tackle many of the problems she encountered.

She said: "It took me four months to move.

"One place I went to seemed quite cheap for the area but turned out to be a room the size of a toilet with a lock on the door.

"I was at college during the day and work at night so it was really difficult to arrange viewings.

"A service like this is a great idea because you can see everyone in one place."

The first meeting is at Heebie Jeebies restaurant in George Street, Hove, between 6.30pm and 9pm on Tuesday, July 29.

People who are interested in using the service need to book first by calling 01273 236915 so Emma can profile their requirements.