Post 86 – 04/05/25 – Problem No. 6 – Estate Agent Boards (5 Minute Read)
+ Introduction
As the working group meetings continue at Royal Holloway, we continue to look at some of problems borne by Royal Holloway’s expansion and look at possible solutions to those problems here.
This post looks at the issue of ‘To Let/ Let’ boards.
As before, you are then invited to share your thoughts on the matter in the forum.
+ Definition & Identification
– Most student HMOs are on a continuous loop of being marketed – students typically sign a tenancy agreement for one academic year.
– Student HMOs are usually actively marketed during the spring term for the start of the next academic year. (A shortage of available HMOs though means that some students start looking sooner than this to secure the best properties.)
– Marketing usually involves the use of ‘To Let’ boards.
– Once the tenancy arrangement has been agreed, the agent will then amend the sign to advise that it has been ‘Let’.
– Boards advertise the estate agent”s business as well as advertising the property’s status.
– Many estate agent boards are left up long after the property is ‘Let’. (WNTTARH knows of boards that have been left up on properties for periods of longer than a year.)
– Some managing agents affix permanent advertising boards to their properties.
– Permanent boards and boards that are left up for prolonged periods are typically not maintained, weather and become unsightly.
– Some tenants take down the estates agents boards.
– WNTTARH is also aware that some local residents will take down boards too.
– Recumbent boards, often left in front yards or adjacent to the property, have a knack of travelling and can often be found around the community.
– Fly-tipped boards are a nuisance and need clearing away.
– Boards, both erected and recumbent, are an irritation to many residents.
+ Solutions
– Solution Part 1 | RBC To Enforce Schedule 3 Of The Town & Country Planning Regulations 2007
Boards are subject to planning legislation and in the case of a sign advertising residential property, the sign must be removed within 14 days after the completion of the grant of a tenancy.
– Solution Part 2 | RBC To Introduce A New HMO Licence Condition For HMO Managers
That boards are not erected until February of the academic year and are not left up for longer than 2 weeks after the property has been ‘Let’. (To mirror the law.)
+ Rationale
Making the HMO Manager accountable for the use of boards will lead to them being left up for shorter periods of time.
Boards being left up for shorter periods will lead to a reduction in the amount of boards being taken down by people other than the estate agent.
+ Conclusion
The effectiveness of estate agent boards as a marketing tool (for a property) has long been questionable: to market the estate agent’s business, well that is a different matter. (We know a couple of estate agents – putting boards up/ leaving boards up for long as possible to promote the estate agency is the board’s primary function.)
And in Egham & Englefield Green it is easy to see how a rather benign issue in fact becomes a problem – boards are yet another example of how high densities of HMOs can have a negative impact on a community.
RBC will though take action against estate agents who leave their boards up beyond the 2 week ‘Let’ period. Once reported, we believe the estate agent is contacted and the board in turn is duly taken down.
However, we also believe that many estate agents know that there are no real consequences for breaching the legislation. Subsequently the board on the next property marketed will be left up longer than the 2 week period and the game continues. Perhaps levying fines could be imposed for persistent offenders?
But the problem is at the front end of the marketing cycle too, and here additional legislation is required.
Estate agents could argue that student HMOs are being marketed all year round. And that is true, indeed some agents have decided to erect permanent advertising boards on their properties.
However, a recognition that students need to find accommodation, are intelligent and tech savvy, probably means that online marketing should cut it except for the truly difficult HMO properties.
In a nutshell, we think RBC’s planning department has better things to do with its limited resources than chasing non-compliant estate agents. Other than a moratorium on the use of boards, making the use of boards a licensing condition, and putting the onus of the HMO Manager to manage the use of boards, we think will lead to best outcome for the community.
Best wishes,
We Need To Talk About Royal Holloway
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