Who's responsible to pay £120 BT Installation? Tenant or Landlord?

tenant_london

Hi again,
This forum is very interesting and I'm reading posts here and it's educating me alot so it's a good place to have.
I have a question, if you as a tenant move into a new place with no BT line, so BT can install it but they charge approx £120 GBP for that.

Who needs to pay it?
Is it the tenant? (because he wants a phone line)
Or the landlord? (in the end of the day the tenant leaves, a new tenant would come and he won't have to pay the £120 charge because the previous one paid it already)

Any suggestions?

PasturesNew

It's the tenant's responsibility.

tenant_london

PasturesNew wrote: »

It's the tenant's responsibility.

Thanks :T:T

shellsuit

Doesnt seem that fair really, as you may be on a 12 month contract for the phone, but the LL may want you to leave after 6 months.

Actually, I'm sure there is a thread on here which says BT don't charge for reconnection/installation of a phone line?

PROFESSIONAL_LANDLORD

It's something that's never cropped up in my area, probably because there's cable as an alternative, but I would expect the tenant to pay, (I think) although if you twisted my arm I'd go halves. On a similar note I pay and maintain aerial installations! so I would probably pay the other 60 quid and mumble under my breath.

tenant_london

PROFESSIONAL_LANDLORD wrote: »

although if you twisted my arm I'd go halves.

I wish you would be my landlord.

System

shellsuit wrote: »

Actually, I'm sure there is a thread on here which says BT don't charge for reconnection/installation of a phone line?

They wanted to in my last house :eek::(

Fire_Fox

BT do reglar 'free' offers for reconnection but there is always a catch like an 18 month contract! PlusNet do free reconnection with no contract, and much cheaper broadband (one year contract).

N79

In the past BT never charged the connection fee but I have noticed that since around 2007 they have started to charge my Ts every time (often the Ts complain but I point out that it is nothing to do with me). I guess BT has started to feel the heat of competition from cable and mobile so has tightened up on they charges and contract lockins.

Arthritic_Toe

The Post Office do it cheaper than BT too, even though they all use BT openreach to do the connection. If there is a line into the house with a dial-tone, you shouldn't pay the connection charge, although if their database says there is no line (even when there is), prepare for a fight, as they send an engineer out who picks up the phone and says "Oh, so there is a line. Funny that, our database is wrong. Here's a bill for 135 pounds anyway."

poppysarah

If you need a visit to install wiring then you can try and negotiate with BT to reduce the charge as you are only the tenant - and sometimes they say it's down to the engineer who comes out...
If wiring is there then don't pay them a bean for switching it on!