There’s currently no shortage of homes to let in St Albans, meaning landlords are having to think of creative ways of giving their property the edge.

Dorian Gonsalves, Managing Director of national property specialist, Belvoir, believes technology is key, saying: “Today’s tenants are already demanding far more from their rental property – and the tenants of tomorrow will no doubt expect landlords to keep pace by providing ever increasing energy efficient and eco-friendly buildings – all packed with the latest in technology.”

Davinder Gharial, who owns the Belvoir offices in Hitchin and Welwyn Garden City, adds: “Whilst the majority of our rental properties can be regarded as ‘conventional’ we know that many tenants like to have time, labour and energy saving features – and many landlords are spotting this as an opportunity to create ‘stand out’ features that attract quality tenants.”

With this in mind, Belvoir have compiled a list of quirky predictions for homes of the future – and they’re all either in an advanced stage of development or already installed in homes around the world:

• Iris recognition secure entry – already used extensively in commercial and public buildings, it only allows entry by recognising the intricate structure of a person’s eye to prove the identity of the individual.

• Smart homes that recognise individual occupiers by their heartbeat. A small, wearable wrist device allows entry and passage through the property. By ‘reading’ specific heart rhythms it can automatically adjust lighting levels, room temperature and select customised mood music based on personal preferences.

• Android ‘house helpers’. These not only deliver robotic cleaning of carpets and floors, but, as in the case of a hotel in the USA, ‘robo butlers’ can deliver towels, serve drinks or anything else programmed into their system.

• For singleton tenants of the future – how about the comforting companionship of a Japanese inspired ‘robo pet’ – a mechanical mutt, or canny cat with in-built circuitry that enables them to understand your commands!

• A relaxing night by the TV? Long talked about, ‘smelly vision’ is on its way too, with scented cartridges hooked up to the internet turning any big TV screen production into a real life epic - creating the smell of fire, rain forests or salty seas right there in the living room.

• Over in the kitchen, ‘smart’ fridges with radio frequency identification technology will automatically re-order grocery online as it runs out and also offer recipe suggestions based on the fridge or freezer’s contents.

• In similar culinary fashion, a new system can project recipes onto a kitchen work surface, using cameras to find the ingredients and offer further advice on the method of preparation.

• Turning up the heat: ‘Intelligent’ ovens which ‘read’ the ingredients of a raw dish, are also on the way. They recognise what the meal comprises, then cook it to perfection.

• In the bathroom, out goes the need for washing dirty towels, to be replaced by a drying system that uses UV light to kill bacteria.

• No more need for bathroom scales either – an in-built ‘body analyser’ will provide a full reading of weight, heart rate and body mass index.

• And finally to bed – one with a smart mattress that can track sleep patterns and is programmable to both help you drift into slumber, or wake you up at the touch of a button.

Davinder adds: “Belvoir has seen many successive trends and developments in the property market and even 20 years ago we would have regarded Internet controlled blinds, curtains and shutters to control both light and security as highly futuristic.

“Whilst the above is a fun look at what the future might bring – it may be worth considering that they could be here much sooner than we all think!”