One council in England says it will renew its powers that will prevent student landlords from putting up ‘To Let’ boards advertising their property in parts of the city.
Leicester City Council introduced the restriction in the summer of 2018 which banned the use of the boards in those areas close to De Montfort University and the University of Leicester.
It has now looking at bringing in a new Regulation 7 Direction that will see the ‘To Let’ boards being used in student areas being banned for several more years.
Agents and landlords will need planning consent
Under the ban, letting agents and landlords will need planning consent from the council before using the boards in Castle, Knighton, Saffron and Westcotes wards. Failure to comply could see a student landlord facing court action and a potential fine of £2,500.
The council says the current ban will expire in July, but it is currently applying for it to be renewed.
And, as part of the process, the council is inviting people to have their say on whether they support the continuation of the ban and its effectiveness.
‘Almost permanent proliferation of 'To Let' boards’
Cllr Piara Singh Clair, the deputy city mayor who leads on regulatory services, said: "Prior to bringing these new powers into effect, many people who lived close to the universities were concerned about the almost permanent proliferation of 'To Let' boards on their streets.
"Since the direction was implemented, there has been a significant reduction in illegally displayed boards which has led to an improvement in the appearance of the affected areas.
"We don't want to see the advertising boards becoming an eyesore in these areas again and hope to renew the legal powers which have helped us to successfully tackle the problem."
‘Student landlords will be dismayed at the prospect’
Simon Thompson, the managing director of Accommodation for Students, said: “While many student landlords will be dismayed at the prospect of the ban being extended, the demand for students in most cities will mean that the council won’t have too much trouble in clamping down on boards being put up.
“There’s no doubt that most students are signing up in good time and many landlords will be finding that they don’t have to advertise or use ‘To Let’ boards in a bid to attract students to their accommodation.”
Glasgow is in desperate need of PBSA - claim
A story on Glasgowlife.co.uk reveals that developers are urging the building of more purpose-built student flats in the city in a bid to accommodate student numbers. They say that Glasgow is ‘under pressure’ because there’s not enough student accommodation available and there are four students chasing every bed. The city hit the headlines last September when it was revealed that a lack of student beds saw the University appealing for students to either defer or stay at home, if they were living within commuting distance. Other students were shipped out to other cities. The developers are hoping to gain permission to build a block of student accommodation and the firm’s planning application highlights the level of demand from students for accommodation in Glasgow.
Rent guarantor help for students who have left care
The Unite Foundation says more needs to be done to help students who have left care to find accommodation while at university in the UK. The charity wants to help since landlords are increasingly requesting rent guarantors for their potential tenants. But, the foundation warns, just 36% of universities currently offer a rent guarantor service , or have a signpost on their website to find one. The foundation says that universities need to step in and offer students who don’t have a family member or parents a rent guarantor service since this is ‘a low risk for them’. The move would also level ‘a very uneven playing field’ and ensure that students are not unfairly disadvantaged when they seek accommodation for their studies.
