Planning application fees changing
All planning application fees are increasing on 1 April 2026. See the Planning Portal website for details.
The rules governing estate agents' boards and how to report unlawfully displayed boards.
If you want to report an Estate Agent board you feel may be breaching the law, you can use our planning enforcement web form:
Estate agent advertising boards are governed by the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisement) Regulations 2007.
The law states that no more than 1 advertisement, consisting of a single board or 2 joined boards is permitted. If more than 1 board is displayed then the first board to be displayed will be deemed as the lawful advertisement.
No advertisement may be displayed indicating that the land or premises has been sold or let, unless an additional advertisement or a statement that a sale or let has been agreed or is subject to contract.
Adverts relating to residential use or development are permitted to be 0.5 square metres, or if 2 boards are joined then an aggregate of 2.3 square metres is permitted.
Advertisements must be removed within 14 days after the completion of a sale or the grant of the tenancy.
The maximum projection from a building's face is 1 metre.
No part of the advertisement should be higher above the ground than 4.6 metres, or 3.6 metres in an area of special control.
Estate agents' advertisements are not permitted to be illuminated.