TV License

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Hi all,

I'm coming up to the end of my tenancy agreement at my current place. Currently is a join tennancy agreement between myself, 5 others, and the landlord. We have shared kitchen, bathroom etc, and locks on our individual doors to our bedrooms.

I have a TV license which my housemates have paid me for (for the 9 months we've been there) and my housemates are covered by my TV license to have TVs in their private rooms.

In my new place, I am moving in with the land lady and I have an agreement with her, and the two other tennants have seperates agreements each. Again their are shared facilities, this time NO locks on the individual doors, but her TV license will not cover me to have a TV in my room, and my tv license does not cover her.

Apparently this is becuase I "exclusively occupy" my room. However, that's exactly the same as now...I "exclusively occupy" my current room, but my hosuemates are covered by me!

I asked as to WHY this was the case and was simply told that it just was.

Can anyone come up with a way to justify this or a way that I can argue that in my new house only one TV license is required. I know life isn't fair, but in this situation I really can not see a justifiable reason why the rules are this way!

Help guys, thanks
 
Soldato
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From http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/information/students.jsp

Tv Licensing Man said:
Do I need my own licence if I live in shared accommodation?

If you are going to be sharing a house, a separate tenancy agreement would normally mean your room is classified a separately occupied place. In this case, if you have a TV in your room, you will need your own TV Licence.

However, if there is only one TV in a communal area, then only one TV Licence is required. Similarly, if your house can be treated as one place shared by all, then only one TV Licence is required - a joint tenancy agreement would normally indicate that there is only one separately occupied place.

So it would appear that your landlady is correct, as you're signed on indivudual tenancy agreements - as opposed to the joint one on your precious house - you need a separate TV license.
 
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Just dont get a tv license, nothing anyone can do because you dont have to let the inspectors in and you can just say you have it for watching dvds. The bbc are a disgrace.
 
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Presumably because otherwise a block of flats might be able to get away with a single licence?

I'm guessing the rooms having locks on them doesn't make a blind bit of difference, it's all down to how the tenancy is worked out.
 
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Blackstar_solar said:
I'm looking for a justification as to WHY it is the case?
It's just legal gumph really. If you only needed once license per building then blocks of flats would only need one license for everyone. There has to be a way of deciding what counts as a single household, and it makes the most sense to do it based on tenancy agreements.

edit-
Presumably because otherwise a block of flats might be able to get away with a single licence?
That's twice today I've has the same thought as someone else at the same time.
 
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Energize said:
Just dont get a tv license, nothing anyone can do because you dont have to let the inspectors in and you can just say you have it for watching dvds. The bbc are a disgrace.

In your opinion perhaps.

In my opinion I think the BBC are one of the best things about the UK and that people who don't pay their licence fee are scum-sucking leeches on the rest of society.
 

Jez

Jez

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Energize said:
Just dont get a tv license, nothing anyone can do because you dont have to let the inspectors in and you can just say you have it for watching dvds. The bbc are a disgrace.

Tbh they dont seem too on the ball anyway, ive lived in my house for around 8 months now and havent heard a thing from them. As far as i understand it you have about 3 letters before they can prosecute, so it doesnt make any sense to get one until then, at which time your tenancy might be up anyway. :)
 
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-EDIT- Please don't turn this into a BBC is good/bad discussion, create another thread for that. Thanks

I agree that there must be someway to decide if somewhere is a different residence or not, but the block of flats example is flawed in that a block of flats is not one address, it is many, i.e. Flat 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b etc. But I'll be living in a single house with other people, the situation as far as our living arrangement is concerned is more similar to a family home than anything else, it just that there is a tennancy agreement.

I can see that using tennacy agreements is useful but it shouldnt' be the be all and end all, like I said, I can not see any way they can justify this.
 
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Von Luck said:
In your opinion perhaps.

In my opinion I think the BBC are one of the best things about the UK and that people who don't pay their licence fee are scum-sucking leeches on the rest of society.

Yeah even though they probably dont even watch bbc, the bbc are as greedy as sony and microsoft and this thread proves it. They dont even have any of the top programs on like 24 and lost or any recent films yet they charge a fortune compared to every other tv service.
 
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Blackstar_solar said:
I can see that using tennacy agreements is useful but it shouldnt' be the be all and end all, like I said, I can not see any way they can justify this.
It's justified legally. In the eyes of the law you have no connection with your housemates other than you share facilities with them. Do you think it would be any more acceptable if you had a number on your bedroom door?
 
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Any second now the online bravado posts will appear.
How it's cool not to bother paying, how they cannot force their way into your house.
This will be followed by people telling you how they have actively stopped people entering the property and how great it was.

You know the rules - not that ignorance is a defence anyway.
It is now your call.
TV Licensing could turn up at your door the day after you move in with a warrant and the police in tow.
They enter your property, find a television capable of receiving the signal and they will see you in court.
For the sake of a TV License fee you end up with a nice big fine and a record.
Alternatively you could go for not buying a license and you'll be fine - nobody will ever call and you'll have gotten away with it.

Last and by no means least you could just go and buy a license.
You can setup a Direct Debit so it really doesn't cost much per month.
The BBC produce some great shows & programs each year (despite what another bunch of people will tell you in this thread).
When we moved into our new house just over a year ago one of the first things I did was transfer our television license over from our old address.
A year before that getting a TV License was one of the first things we did - we watch television so we need one, simple as.
 
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If you have signed a 'separate tenancy agreement' then dont you all have your own address. like i used to live in flat 24B and have my own post box.
 
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Energize said:
Yeah even though they probably dont even watch bbc.

...or use the BBC website for news and weather, or listen to Radio1, or use local radio traffic updates etc etc..?

Tbh the licence is outdated and daft - they ought to just bung 1p on income tax and have done with it - think of the savings from not having to try and enforce it any more!
 
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Well dont pay the tv tax, if they come knocking and you open the door they will ask you too sign a document dont do it refuse to sign it theres nothing they can do, dont let them in, this gives you time to hide the tv if they come again with a warrant.
My mate did this, then took them to court ,he ended up with compensation, this happened a few years ago, he always brags on about this.
Two things that i dislike about the tv licence is its a criminal offence whic hit should nt be and the other its to expensive, hence i dont pay it. As long as you pay cash when you purchase the TV and pick it up they will never know you have one.
 
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crashuk said:
My mate did this, then took them to court ,he ended up with compensation, this happened a few years ago, he always brags on about this.
have one.
Eh? So he took them to court even though he was breaking the law? Bit risky isn't it? If it gets found out that he lied in court he'll recieve a much heftier sentence than for not paying a TV license.
 
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Psyk said:
Eh? So he took them to court even though he was breaking the law? Bit risky isn't it? If it gets found out that he lied in court he'll recieve a much heftier sentence than for not paying a TV license.

There is 0% chance he would be found out though.
 
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Energize said:
Yeah even though they probably dont even watch bbc, the bbc are as greedy as sony and microsoft and this thread proves it. They dont even have any of the top programs on like 24 and lost or any recent films yet they charge a fortune compared to every other tv service.

But they do have Top Gear, and a quality news service (and web services). I'd pay the liscense fee per year for those alone.
 
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