Estate Agent Signs Photo: Angus Stewart

Estate agents in Tower Hamlets have been given an ultimatum on managing their company signs.

Tower Hamlets Council has written an official letter to all estate agents in the borough, demanding they take down all unnecessary placards within seven days.

Estate agents allegedly leave their signs and placards in place outside properties long after the property has been sold or let, with messages such as “Sold by”, “Let by” and even “Managed by”, remaining in place for many weeks in some cases.

The council has raised the issue because of concerns that agents are using the practice to give themselves unlicensed promotion in the streets.

Jamie Blake, Head of Public Realm for the council described the signs as “nothing more than fly posting”, asserting that the signs serve no purpose if the property has already been sold or let. He said: “Residents don’t want to see their streets littered with signage boards and that’s why we’re taking action against rogue businesses that try to advertise for free.

“We want to work with agents to make sure that they remove their signs promptly. Tower Hamlets will soon be welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors as part of London 2012, and we want to ensure that the borough looks its best.”

Similar measures have been imposed by councils for the boroughs of Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea, affecting large portions of those areas.