Letting agents in two areas of Cardiff with large proportions of privately rented property will have to apply for consent to put up To Let boards from October. 

The Welsh Government has removed the ‘presumed consent’ status for two Cardiff suburbs, Cathay and Plasnewydd, mean that the local authority in the city must give permission before such boards are erected. 

The council says the areas on aggregate have over 60 per cent of households privately renting, according to 2011 Census data. 

A report considered by the council last year said that although To Let boards were effectively used across the UK without significant problems, the fact that these two areas of Cardiff were largely occupied by students meant the tenancies ran for 12 months, leading to a glut of boards being put up in the early summer eacy year.

The council also claims that burglaries in areas with a glut of To Let boards were running at twice the average rate in other areas.

A survey in July of last year showed that there were 1,488 To Let boards on display from the street in the two areas. This was out of around 7,000 houses in the areas.

The council says the ban will be in force from October 1 until December 31 inclusive; thereafter the boards will have to comply to a uniform size and design.