In an area like Surbiton, with a high number of flats to let & being sold, there are always Estate Agents signs on display in certain streets.
Legally, "Let By" and "Sold" signs can only be displayed for around 2 weeks. This is a time frame rarely kept to by Surbitons Estate Agents.
We have seen examples of "Let By" signs being in place for 3 months and "To Let" signs being illegally placed outside properties Agents are not marketing. These signs can be an eyesore, making streets look uncared for.
If you have experienced difficulty in getting an Estate Agent sign removed from your street.
Or if you have examples of Agents placing signs outside properties they are not marketing.
Or if you know of signs that have been in place for weeks or months.
We would like to hear from you. Please send details to:
estateagentsigns@gmail.com
We are collating statistics and examples, with the aim of naming and shaming Agents into action and will be passing our findings to the council.
The council have powers to enforce the 2 week rule and issue fines to Agents but do not currently appear to be doing anything. By collating examples from across Surbiton, we hope to raise awareness of this problem and clean up our streets of old and illegal signs.
Thank you for your help,
The EA Signs team.
Comments
I phoned Your Move in Surbiton today to ask about a board in our street that has been up for months. A man there was very rude so I am emailing all the landlords I know asking them not to use Your Move in future.
My advice is wait til the board is changed to SOLD or LET BY then remove it yourself. Direct action is the only way to combat this vile practice. If challenged say these are old boards and you are tidying up the street.
The sooner this scurge is permanently removed from the borough, the better.
I have noticed that since the signs are made from ridged polystyrene that the local arsonists enjoyment is much enhanced on the way home from clubbing, my setting fire to them shortly before or after they push over someones garden brick wall.
In my street I simply take them down myself. If anyone challenges me I tell them I am taking direct action against street litter.
What about the 'non sale or letting ones' that promote 'Summer Fairs'. It shows how imbecilic these people are wanting to increase the amount of free advertising they can generate by promoting ' Summer Fairs'. One does it, then two, then three etc. spare some change for a coffee sir?
I agree. This has been a real problem this year with all of the 'Matthew James' signs for the St Andrews/St Marks summer fair. It is interesting to note that these signs are still up on Wednesday July 4th when the fair itself was on Saturday, June 30th!
The volume of flats means that there will always be signs up in every road in the central area, but I fully support trying to keep these down to a minimum. I hadn't realised that there is a two week rule (probably because no one abides by it!) and I will certainly contribute some annoying examples that have been there much longer than that.
According to the law, boards can be a maximum 24 inches by 32 inches (about half a square metre).
£2,500 fine, plus £250 a day for each day the offending board stays put.
Hammersmith and Fulham have been cracking down on size, and have prohibited them in conservation areas.
Sources: http://www.londonnet.co.uk/news/2010/jan/house-sale-boards-banned-west-l...
http://www.londonnet.co.uk/news/2010/sep/estate-agent-boards-banned-west...
There's a massive one on the flats on the top of St Marks Hill that were renovated over a year ago.
And another "maanged by" permanantly screwed onto the outside of the ugly 70's flats opposite, across the road.
As the only owner occupier in my house of 4 flats, this drives me up the wall.
As soon as one of the flats is let/sold. I take down the sign and phone the estate agent
telling them they have 24 hours to remove the sign or I will be charging tthem storage space at £100 a day.
It usually works, but the last time (a month ago), Your Move would not remove their Let sign.