Letting agents and landlords are being reminded to comply with an obligation to remove ‘to let’ signs in certain parts of a city – or face prosecution.

Nottingham council introduced new rules in 2012 which ban the display of lettings boards from October 1 to December 31 each year in a number of areas in the city. 

The authority says the aim of the measure is to reduce the impact of unsightly rows of rental signs that remain in place all year round in areas of the city where there are high concentrations of HMOs – often used by students who are away from the properties for a third of the year.

The council claims the initiative has generally been a success, with most agents and landlords complying.

But now the council has written to agents and landlords pledging that repeat offenders – including offenders written to in previous years – will be prosecuted this year. 

“A small number of boards have been displayed in contravention of the rules, and we have written to offenders and taken direct steps to remove boards. We feel that limited council resources shouldn’t be used to take action more than once against the same offenders and have notified landlords and lettings agents of our intention to prosecute in such cases” says a council spokesman.