Letting Agent "Board Campaign"

Mattw924

Hi all,

We've had an email today from our lettings agent advising that they are carrying out a "Board Campaign" which will involve placing a board on our property for 2 weeks - I'm hoping for some clarity or advice with regards to whether they are allowed to do this without permission.

I'll be checking through any T&C's I can find tonight, but as far as I'm concerned without permission they would be A) trespassing and placing an item of theirs on our property (littering?? :laugh:). If they had been better than they have been during the initial application & subsequent interactions then I might not have been too bothered, but I'm reluctant to have advertising for a company I wouldn't recommend in my garden.
We have a good relationship with our landlord, and I imagine lettings agent haven't confirmed it with them, so may also drop them a message.
They haven't stated the content of the sign, but if it suggest they're trying to make it look like they've successfully rented out a house (when they haven't, we've been in over a year), it would be amusing to get trading standards opinion!

Thanks in advance for any advice!

hazyjo

How long have you been there? Might it be that the LL used to allow them to advertise local fetes etc? I think some pay a nominal amount for the privilege.

Mattw924

Just over a year, I'd be very surprised if it was anything other than one of their branded boards especially as we aren't in a location that gets any passing traffic.

diggingdude

If the landlords fine with it then nothing really you can do. Could out a sign next to it pointing out your issues with them?

G_M

Interesting question...

In most contracts, access by the landlord or his agents to the property is restricted to the last month or two of the tenancy. And 'the property' obviously includes the front garden.

And it obviously would not fall into the catagories of essential rapairs or legally required checks (eg gas) which LL/agents can carry out.

I believe they would need your consent. They would certainly need your landlord's consent, so yes, worth checking with him.

Having said that, do you have a specific concern? Is it worth alienating the agent by making it an issue?

Cakeguts

diggingdude wrote: »

If the landlords fine with it then nothing really you can do. Could out a sign next to it pointing out your issues with them?

The landlord isn't in a position to allow this. It isn't their house anymore.



OP I think you should tell the landlord and the letting agent that you are not allowing them to use your front garden for their advertising.

Mattw924

Been in touch with Landlord - they have no ongoing agreement with agent, and have no issues with us asking the agent to not put a sign up.

@G_M - not a specific concern with them no, but right from the start of the rental process we've not been impressed, and I don't agree with having advertising for a company we wouldn't recommend placed on our property. They haven't even had the courtesy to ask, rather state that they will be and will answer questions.

I'm thinking of replying by asking that they don't place anything on our property unless they can produce anything signed by us which clearly says they have permission to place boarding when they like.

Davy_Jones_II

Cakeguts wrote: »

The landlord isn't in a position to allow this. It isn't their house anymore.

OP I think you should tell the landlord and the letting agent that you are not allowing them to use your front garden for their advertising.

Why? Why risk not having the tenancy renewed by taking such a stance upfront?

OP, don’t do as above, it’s stupid advice. If you are unhappy then ask the landlord what it’s about, and then if you are unhappy decide if it’s worth refusing permission.

Owain_Moneysaver

They are not allowed to do this, by law.

Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2007.

Boards may be displayed only on, or within the curtilage of, the property to which they relate.

Boards indicating that a property has been let must be removed within 14 days of the signing of a tenancy agreement.

https://www.legalforlandlords.co.uk/3144-2/#targetText=The%20snappily%20titled%20piece%20of,Only%20one%20board%20per%20property.

The enforcement would be your council Planning office, but Trading Standards might also be a good call as it's probably unfair and mislead advertising too.

I'd also advise your landlord that his agents are intending to break the law on his property, so what else are they doing wrong either through intention or incompetence?

G_M

Mattw924 wrote: »

Been in touch with Landlord - they have no ongoing agreement with agent, and have no issues with us asking the agent to not put a sign up.

.

So you pay your rent direct to the landlord, and contact him with issues, repairs etc?


If the LL has no ongoing agreement with agent then I would definately refuse. Reply in writing, refusing, but politely.

anselld

Advertisements are regulated by the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007.

"To Let" sings are permitted under the act if the property in question is actually to let. "Let by" signs must be removed within 14 days of the start of tenancy.

So whatever a "board campaign" is would seem to contravene the regulations and the Local Authority would probably take an interest if they have nothing better to do.

Write to the agent, copy the landlord and tell them you don't want to participate in the agents advertising.