what TV should a short term tenant expect?

soolin

Bit of a strange question but I am trying to find out what is normal or reasonable in a property that is let on short term contracts .

I let a property that I part own currently the TV is supplied via a special cabling sytem and tenants can get the normal 5 channels, a couple of Sky channels and some music ones and I pay £4 a month for the system. It is not possible to add extra services to this sytem without upgrading the cabling.

The current tenant on a 6 month contract wants us to instal Sky or something similar, he says he'l pay the extras but I have an uneasy feeling about it having had a tenant run out on me before. I don't particularly want to have holes drilled in the property, or dishes set up nor do I want to spend money on Freesat and have expensive freesat boxes left in the property.

My agents are useless (other part owner won't change away from them) and just say that some of their let property does have sky and some does not, so I wondered what is normal, what do tenants on a short let expect by way of TV services? If I am out of line by restricting them to basic TV then I'll have to have a rethink.

The matter is complicated by the fact this is a Milton Keynes property the current cabling is analogue only and cannot support any form of digital TV, hence having to go for an entirely new system. We are also not supposed to put any satelitte dishes or aerials up, although I am less worried by that as other proeprties in the road now have them despite the covenants saying we can't.

Fire_Fox

Don't you have a normal aerial at all? If so a basic Freeview box is the best option for all parties - no contract and no dishes/ expensive equipment required. Many new TVs have Freeview capability built-in.

silvercar

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Don't you have a normal aerial at all? If so a basic Freeview box is the best option for all parties - no contract and no dishes/ expensive equipment required. Many new TVs have Freeview capability built-in.

Normal arials are banned in Milton Keynes because they are ugly, unlike sky dishes which are picturesque

soolin

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Don't you have a normal aerial at all? If so a basic Freeview box is the best option for all parties - no contract and no dishes/ expensive equipment required. Many new TVs have Freeview capability built-in.

There is no aerial at all, just an analogue cable, the wiring is apparently completely different to normal cables different metal or something.

I asked about freeview on a TV forum and they didn't seem to think it would work on a completely analogue cable system. If it would then I suppose I could suggest to the tenant that he just buys a cheap box, or I could have one delivered.

becky_rtw

I've never had sky in a rented place - always just the basic four channels (you cant get five in Cambridge for example or not where I lived anyway) - almost all rental properties that I know of cant have sky because the LL wont allow the dish - this is perfectly normal tbh and if your tenant cant live without zillions of tv channels then they should move somewhere else - one of the joys of renting is being stuck with what you signed to when you viewed it.

soolin

I've just gone back and checked some sites i bookmarked and this is what it says about using freeview in Milton Keynes:

Please note that the ex BT / NTL and now Virgin Media Cable TV network in Milton Keynes is NOT planned to be upgraded to enable you to get digital TV i.e. Freeview
I took that to mean that freeview wouldn't work without an aerial.

westv

silvercar wrote: »

Normal arials are banned in Milton Keynes because they are ugly, unlike sky dishes which are picturesque

That's a joke, right?

Doozergirl

I agree with Becky. You shouldn't expect Sky. I don't have it in my own house!

If you want it, it's your own responsibility.

westv

I would have thought in this day and age access to Sky TV (or equivalent) would be standard in properties to let.

Catblue

I'm a tenant and we only have four terrestrial channels here. There is no digital in this town yet and we can't get Channel 5. We didn't have Sky at our previous house either.

Doesn't bother us at all, and certainly wouldn't expect the landlord to drill holes, set up a dish etc.

Presumably you didn't advertise the property as having Sky or similar, so the tenant can hardly complain now. I think it is totally fine to say no to him.

Fire_Fox

For the cable to be upgraded is that chargeable to you as the landlord/ lady or do you have to wait on Virgin to do the entire street?