‘To Let’ signs are destroying our area, claim locals
HUNDREDS of locals have signed a petition calling for a ban on letting boards across Selly Oak. A group of residents set up the petition claiming the ‘‘unsightly’’ boards were left attached to homes all year round in Selly Oak and the surrounding ward.
They claim the ‘To Let’, ‘Too Late’, and ‘Let’ signs are never removed by estate agents, and say the boards give the impression that Selly Oak is ‘‘Studentsville’’ rather than a residential area.
The group wants Birmingham City Council to pass an order which would make it illegal for the agents to erect signs. Such a move has been enforced in other cities such as Leicester, Leeds and Manchester in areas with similar demographics to Selly Oak.
Sonia Mauri, one of the organisers of the petition, said: “The estate agents are setting up the boards on houses they are renting to students. I know the board which is next to my house has been up for 16 years.
“I have taken it down myself. Tiverton Road and Heeley Road have boards which have been up there for five years.
“There weren’t so many signs 10 years ago when I bought my house.”
The mother-of-one added: “It’s blatant and they are not following the law. They leave the board up.
“It looks unsightly. Some of them have dropped off and wheelchair users and push chairs can’t get through. We called the estate agents and their attitude was like ‘go away.’
“We are asking for a Section 7 which bans estate agents from putting signs up.
“They should be banned altogether. No student goes around the area looking at houses, they all go online.”
A spokesman from Birmingham City Council said: “The responsibility for taking down ‘To Let’ boards lies with the letting agents and we would expect letting agents to take down boards within 14 days of the property being let. We are aware of residents’ complaints and the petition so will be monitoring the situation carefully to see whether or not enforcement measures may be needed.”