Breaches reported
Complaints highlighted boards placed on highways, public land, private property or street furniture, and signs positioned in locations other than at the home being marketed.
Warwickshire District Council stated that they want to work in partnership with local agencies to resolve the issue and prevent a situation where a ban on signage in locations such as conservation areas is necessary.
The law and enforcement
England has defined rules set out by the Town and County Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2007 (TCPR), which states agents do not need to apply for planning permission to put up property advertising boards.
Local authorities will primarily act on public safety concerns raised by complaints about agents’ boards and issue a Discontinuance Notice under Regulation 8 of the TCPR if they believe that there is a risk of substantial damage to property or a danger to the public.
An agent must comply with the Notice within eight weeks or risk prosecution which could result in a maximum fine of £2,500.
If agents are unsure about the rules for their area or need advice about a specific situation, they should contact their local planning authority.
Best practices for residential agents
Advertisements cannot be displayed without permission from the owner of the site. Both the board and the site used to display it must be kept clean, tidy, and in good repair, and when a board is removed the site must be left in a safe condition.
Single boards for residential properties must be no larger than 0.5m square. Usually, they must be no higher than 4.6m above the ground and not project more than 1m from the face of the building.
The advertisement should be removed within 14 days after the completion of a sale or granting of a tenancy.
Resources for members
There are specific rules about the location of boards for different types of sales and our fact sheet provides more detail to help Propertymark members comply.
We also have some Assured Advice on joint agency boards and advertising sold properties.
