I was recently contacted by a landlord concerned that he could be liable for a £1000 fine from the TV licensing authority because her tenant had failed to obtain a TV licence.
I’ve therefore decided to clarify for landlords exactly who is responsible for paying the TV licence in respect of their rental property.  The law is clear in respect to responsibility over the payment of the TV licence. If you the landlord do not provide the TV then it’s the tenant’s responsibility to purchase the TV licence. The landlord provides the TV Where the responsibility becomes less clear is if the landlord provides the tenant with a TV.

Many landlords as a gesture of good will have thrown an old TV into a rental property at some time on the basis it:

1. Makes the property more attractive to let;

2. Kills two birds with one stone because the landlord had an old TV knocking around anyway so it saves you having to     dispose of it or store it in the loft;

However, this act of unbridled generosity could potentially back fire on the landlord. This is because, if a landlord provides the tenant with a TV it is then the landlord’s responsibility to ensure that the property has a valid TV Licence.
The only exception to this is if the tenancy clearly states that the tenant is responsible for buying the TV Licence.

Many “off the shelf” short hold tenancy agreements (SHT) that can be purchased from high street shops do not cover this type of scenario.  All that they often refer to is the fact that it is the responsibility of tenants in respect of utilities but they are not specific about such things as the TV Licence. These type of SHT agreements often refer to the tenants responsibilities that they will guarantee:

`To pay the Council Tax and water rates in respect of the property and all gas and electricity, light and power which shall be consumed or supplied on or to the property during the Tenancy and the amount of all charges made for the use of the telephone (if any) on the property during the Tenancy or a proper proportion of the amount of the rental or other recurring charges to be assessed according to the duration of the Tenancy.`