Letting Board Restrictions – Regulation 7 Direction in Force

On 13 February 2026, the Secretary of State formally approved Nottingham City Council’s application for a Regulation 7 Direction, reinstating restrictions on the display of “To Let” boards in nine areas of the city.

Importantly, this Direction has been granted in perpetuity, recognising the long‑term impact that excessive letting boards have on local neighbourhoods, conservation areas, and community wellbeing.

These controls apply to areas with high concentrations of student accommodation and other HMOs, where traditional boards have previously resulted in significant visual clutter and have contributed to a sense of transience in the local community.

The following documents were issued with the decision by the Secretary of State.

• Secretary of State – Letter 
• Map of restriction areas.
• Legal Challenge note
• Letting Boards Restriction - official
• Report to the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

What happened following the Secretary of State’s decision

The process to confirm and implement the Regulation 7 Direction followed a series of statutory and communication steps to ensure transparency, fairness and legal certainty.

On 13 February 2026, the Secretary of State issued approval for the Regulation 7 Direction, confirming that restrictions on the display of traditional letting boards could proceed.

This was followed by a six‑week period during which the decision could be challenged in the High Court, which concluded on 27 March 2026. No successful challenge was made during this period.

On 27 March 2026, the Council published the required statutory notices in The London Gazette and the Metro, formally notifying interested parties that the Direction would take effect.

The Regulation 7 Direction came into force on 13 April 2026. From this point, traditional letting boards within the restricted areas require consent, and boards displayed without permission became unauthorised.

Alongside the statutory process, the Council implemented a targeted communication strategy between 16 March and 20 April 2026. This activity was designed to raise awareness among landlords, letting agents and residents about:

• The restrictions now in place
• The availability of alternative, compliant signage
• The implications of non‑compliance

From 20 April 2026, the Council moved to formal enforcement, taking a firm but proportionate approach where unauthorised letting boards remain in place, including the use of legal powers and financial penalties where appropriate.

The Secretary of State’s decision confirms that the Regulation 7 Direction applies indefinitely, providing long‑term certainty for residents, landlords and agents and enabling consistent enforcement going forward.

The Secretary of State’s decision confirms that the Regulation 7 Direction should remain in place ongoing, reflecting the need to:

• Protect residential amenity
• Reduce street clutter
• Safeguard the character and appearance of neighbourhoods

The Council is therefore empowered and committed to enforcing the restrictions consistently, while supporting compliant alternatives through its published guidance.

Landlords and letting agents should no longer display traditional letting boards within the restricted area unless they have the required consent.

Any traditional letting boards that do not meet the requirements of the Regulation 7 Direction are unauthorised and should be removed immediately or will be subject to enforcement action.

Alternative, compliant signage

The Council recognises the need for landlords and agents to continue marketing properties and has issued a guidance note setting out appropriate alternative signage that may be used without consent, where it meets the specified criteria.

The guidance explains:

• What forms of signage are considered acceptable alternatives
• Size, positioning and design principles
• How these differ from traditional letting boards which now require consent

Landlords and agents are strongly advised to review the guidance note carefully and ensure any signage used fully complies with it or itself may be subject to enforcement action.

What Landlords and Letting Agents need to do now

• Remove all unauthorised traditional letting boards
• Where appropriate, move to alternative signage that accords with the Council’s guidance 
• Ensure any signage that falls outside the guidance has the proper consent in place
• Make managing agents and contractors aware that these restrictions apply on a permanent basis.

Enforcement action

The Council will take a robust and proportionate approach to enforcement. Where unauthorised boards remain in place, the Council may:

• Require their removal
• Take formal enforcement action
• Issue financial penalties where appropriate

Given the Secretary of State’s decision to apply the restrictions indefinitely, there is no expectation of further transitional arrangements.

To protect the visual amenity and character of local streets, the Regulation 7 Direction now places permanent restrictions on the use of traditional letting boards within the designated areas.

The Council recognises, however, that landlords and letting agents may still wish to display information about properties in a proportionate and appropriate way. To support this, the Council has published a guidance note setting out acceptable alternative signage that may be displayed without the need for consent, provided it fully meets the specified criteria.

Working in partnership

Our preference is always to work constructively and in partnership with landlords and letting agents. We therefore strongly encourage the use of signage that complies with the published guidance, as this provides a lawful and lower‑impact alternative to traditional boards which now require consent.

Landlords and agents are expected to familiarise themselves with the guidance and ensure that any signage displayed accords with it in full.

To view detailed guidance on how the rules operate, including acceptable forms of alternative signage and maps of the restricted areas, click to view a copy of the Design Guidance for Letting Boards and detailed maps of the areas.

Where traditional letting boards are displayed without consent, or where alternative signage does not comply with the guidance, the Council may need to consider formal enforcement action, including requiring removal and the use of financial penalties where appropriate.

As the Regulation 7 Direction is confirmed to apply indefinitely, compliance with the guidance will be an important factor in avoiding enforcement action.

To view detailed guidance on how the rules operate, including acceptable forms of alternative signage and maps of the restricted areas, click to view a copy of the Design Guidance for Letting Boards and detailed maps of the areas.

Non‑compliant boards may be subject to:

• Removal by the Council
• Recovery of associated costs
• Prosecution, including fines of up to £2,500 per board and £250 per day for continuing offences.

Monitoring how landlords and agents follow the criteria is made easier by the requirement that all letting boards (even those that comply with the guidance in term of size and positioning) should be removed between 1 October and 31 December of any one year.

Residents play an important role in helping to ensure the restrictions are upheld and the local environment is protected.

If you see a traditional letting board displayed within the restricted area and believe it may be unauthorised, you can report it to the Council.

Please note that some alternative signage, as set out in the Council’s published guidance, may be lawful. All reports will be assessed against the Regulation 7 Direction and the guidance.

What to include in your report

To help us investigate efficiently, please email with the following details:

• The address or location of the signage
• A photograph, if possible
• Any relevant details about how long the signage has been displayed

Where a breach is identified, appropriate enforcement action will be taken.

Detailed below is an overview map of the 9 areas that are proposed to be subject to Letting Board restrictions