In two weeks time Peterborough teenager Luke Clarke will become Britain’s youngest landlord.

The 17 year-old from Gunthorpe will start to enter the record book as the clock passes midnight for his 18th birthday on 20th August.

That’s the day he submits the paperwork to become the legal owner of his first property - and it’s all down to the £10,000 deposit that Luke has built up during a two-year saving spree of up to £800 a month.

Now the teenager is well on the way to his ambition of becoming a multiple property-owning landlord with a portfolio of residential lettings.

“Property is in my blood,” he says. “I want to have at least 20 by the time I’m 25.”

And, among the 18th birthday presents from his step-father, Terry Lucking, will be his first year’s membership of the Residential Landlords Association.

“It’s probably not on every 18 year-old’s birthday list,” says Terry, “but the RLA is an extremely important body – even more essential as a new landlord builds experience. It provides valuable information about the industry, Housing Act reforms and key court results. It also gives even small landords the chance to express their opinions and influence future developments.”

Chris Town, Chairman of the Residential Landlords Association - whose members own over 100,000 private rented properties throughout the UK – welcomed their newest member.

“Luke is part of a new generation that is totally changing the image of landlords – and for the better,” he said. “The profile of a typical landlord is getting younger and more professional every year and an increasing number of property investors in the private rented sector are women.”

Motivation to succeed, says Luke, has been a main reason behind his disciplined saving. He doesn’t smoke and keeps tight control of his spending “because I know I can accomplish what I want if I save now. It’s definitely going to be worth it.

“I’m aiming for a mixed portfolio of high-demand one, two and three-bedroom ex-council properties, which provide the best capital growth to secure my future and retirement. I plan to draw down regularly and buy more as opportunities arise.”

It was at school that Luke’s interest in property began - with a work experience project that even convinced his teacher to become a landlord herself.

In his final year he used a moped to work late afternoons and some weekends to earn cash doing inventories and video condition records for lettings.

When he left school Luke learned the ropes at a series of 6am breakfast meetings with his step-father. He now works as a lettings negotiator and has his sights set on taking over the family business.

Twin brother, Matt, is heading into property too – but more likely in refurbishing homes for resale.

“Luke is so motivated, confident and passionate about property,” says Terry Lucking, who gave up his farming business seven years ago to start a local franchised branch of the national Belvoir Lettings agency.

Now he and his wife, Liz, have a property group that includes a large lettings agency managing 500 properties, a specialist investment property resale agency and a property maintenance business.

“We have a passion for houses and tremendous confidence in the property market,” says Terry. “We’ve not forced our children down this route, by any means, but we have involved them in the business and incentivised them to save.”