Another council has announced a crackdown on 'To Let' boards in student neighbourhoods after defeating a court challenge brought by agents.
The council says that some of the boards had been left outside occupied properties for years.
And, in doing so, the boards were serving as little more than permanent adverts for letting agents.
Birmingham City Council has defeated a court challenge to its move and is carrying out enforcement action in Selly Oak and Bournbrook.
Proliferation of letting boards
A council spokesperson told BirminghamLive: "The Property Licensing team has taken enforcement action to address the proliferation of letting agent boards on roads following long-standing concerns raised by residents, community representatives and local stakeholders.
"For many years, residents have raised concerns about visual blight, the over-commercialisation of the area, the impact on community cohesion, and the perception that boards can identify student properties as potential targets for crime."
They added: "Due to the proximity of the universities, the ward has a very high concentration of privately rented housing, providing essential short-term accommodation for students studying in the area.
"In this context, the widespread use of letting boards had become a visible and persistent feature of residential streets.
"Evidence indicated many boards remained in place year-after-year despite properties being fully let, meaning they were being used less to advertise available accommodation, and more as a form of commercial branding."
Residents complained
The council acted following complaints from residents about the number of boards being displayed across residential streets.
Students had also raised concerns that signs outside their homes could identify the properties as potential targets for criminals.
Birmingham council said the issue was particularly noticeable in Selly Oak and Bournbrook because of the concentration of privately rented student housing close to the city's universities.
It issued community protection warnings to the letting agents displaying the largest numbers of boards.
Formal action against agents
The council spokesperson said: "Of those, 13 agents complied and removed their boards, while four remained non-compliant.
"Formal action was then taken against those agents.
"This resulted in an appeal to court which was successfully defended by the council and further supports the approach taken to improve the community."
Writing on X/Twitter, the council added: "The council's use of these powers was challenged through the courts.
"The appeal was unsuccessful, supporting our approach and allowing us to continue our efforts to improve the environment in affected neighbourhoods."
Nottingham banned letting boards
Birmingham's action follows permanent restrictions secured by Nottingham City Council in March for neighbourhoods with high concentrations of student accommodation and houses in multiple occupation.
The Secretary of State confirmed that Nottingham's long-standing planning controls on letting boards would remain in place permanently following a public consultation.
The restrictions cover nine areas where the council said unmanaged or persistent boards had affected the appearance of residential streets.
Landlords operating in the affected areas must now follow council guidance when displaying boards, including mounting them flush to the wall above the front door where possible.
Councillor Jay Hayes, the council's executive member for housing and planning, said: "These restrictions will make a visible and lasting difference in parts of the city that have been affected for years by the clutter of unmanaged letting boards."
Student landlords must follow rules
Simon Thompson, the managing director of Accommodation for Students, said: "Most student landlords will know from property visits that the display of letting boards around the year is an issue in many areas.
"Landlords in student areas should meet compliance issues, including any positioning rules."
He added: "They should be removed promptly once the student accommodation is occupied and avoid functioning as permanent advertising.
"The students who feared crime or burglary because the sign outside their home stays up permanently raise a valid point.
"Landlords and agents should check each authority's guidance before putting up a board and retain evidence that its use is temporary and lawful."
