A council is consulting over a potential ban or restrictions on estate agents' and letting agents' boards.
Leicester council is responding to complaints from people in two particular parts of the city, near the University of Leicester and De Montfort University. The complaints are mainly, but not wholly, about To Let boards, but the arguments echo those which have happened in many locations over the past two years, particularly Reading and Southampton.
The council says if there is public support for restrictions, it would apply to the government for legal powers banning the display of the boards under the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007.
The council says agents in Leicester appear not to be following guidelines in a voluntary code of practice introduced by the authority in November 2013.
We know from our previous consultations that residents were very concerned about boards being left up for long periods - often almost permanently - in their streets. People were in favour of the introduction of a code of practice but unfortunately only a few agents have complied with this" says a council spokeswoman.
We are now considering applying for powers which would remove the right of estate agents to display these boards in those areas of the city that are most affected she says.
The consultation runs until Friday April 24.
Comments
Physical advertising clearly still has a place in society and that includes estate agents sign boards. the town and country planing act clearly sets out the rules governing for sale and to let boards and in my experience most agents comply. There are clearly some rouge agents who feel that the legislation does not apply to them. They are fairly easy to identify and local authorities have the powers to heavily sanction the persistent offenders. Simples!!
realistically what harm do these boards cause people should spend their time and effort on more important problems in their lives and not complain about the smallest of things that don't harm anyone or cause any negative impact on their lives - how bored are these people
Well said GB - too many people think life is now solely lived online, a very irritating argument.
What a load of nonsense! I can't believe so many people are frightened of boards.
Of course boards attract business. A lot of tenants just want to live on a certain area or street and by putting a board up the phones start ringing. Yes the internet is used by a lot of people but you would be surprised by how many people don't use it a s well.
@John Bamonte I manage 400+ properties and never used a To Let Board.
Right decision. Even as a landlord, I think these boards are outdated and do more harm than good.
The internet Whilst I agree with your general point, that confusion could be caused with such a high turnover/void periods that come with student accommodation, surely most students these days will be carrying out their searches online and won't be traipsing around the streets of Leicester, looking for 'To Let' boards, and carrying out viewings on a whim.
I just don't think 'To Let' boards have any real relevance these days. People are much more switched on and tech-savvy - they will arrange viewings and carry out property searches online, and know in advance that the property they are visiting is 'For Sale/To Let'. More than anything, the boards are an absolute eyesore and are more likely to put people off rather than enticing them in.
Not so sure about this. In areas that have a sizeable student population, 'To Let' boards can be vital for landlords looking to get students into their properties. The complaints are regarding areas near UoL and De Montfort University - both with significant numbers in this demographic. With the regular turnover in students, 'To Let' boards can be crucial in letting people know that properties are available for rent again.
In some situations, a student house will be 'to let' whilst another set of students are still in place. These students are either moving to other student digs/graduating/moving back to halls, but will still be in place until the end of their semester. Without the 'To Let' board, how will people know that the property is actually ready to let. Some major confusion could be caused, costing landlords in the long-term.
So you don't think that boards play any part in advertising a property to potential tenants
To Let Boards are for the benefit/marketing of the Agents who have the cheek to charge the Landlord for their advertising!!
Considering all the cuts, probably the latter!
Interesting comments. If councils enforced the current legislation this would not be a problem, but they either can't be bothered, don't know the law, or do not have the money.
Outdated, inefficient and an eyesore - good on Leicester council if they decide to ban them.
In this day and age, they seem unnecessary. How much power do For Sale and To Let boards really hold anymore I'd argue not very much, and they mostly act as a blight and an eyesore on a community. They're also a hassle to put up and take down, are often left up longer than they should be, and seem so antiquated in this modern internet age - where portals, online marketing and social media dominate proceedings.