Who is responsible for connection to communal satellite dish

hullight

We are getting Sky in our flat and because we have a communal dish On the building the property manager has to connect us. Our flat is privately rented from a private landlord through a letting agency. The property is part owned by a housing association. When we contacted the housing association we were told that all of the aerial points work with Sky, this is not the case. Who is responsible for getting the work done?

eddddy

Hi hullight

Base on your post, I'm guessing that there are 3 parties

- a tenant (i.e. you),
- a leaseholder (who is also your landlord)
- a freeholder (the housing association)

You have a contract (i.e. an AST) with the leaseholder, and the leaseholder has a contract (i.e. a lease) with the freeholder.

So, firstly, you have no contract with the freeholder (the housing association), so they have no duty to do anything for you.

Does your AST say Sky is available in your flat? If so, you should complain to your landlord, and he/she will complain to the housing association.

If your AST does not say Sky is available, I guess you can politely ask your freeholder if he/she can get it sorted out for you - as a gesture of goodwill.

Or you could politely ask the housing association - but as I say, they have no duty to do anything for you.

propertyman

If there is a communal dish and no external cabling, the aerial point should work with sky, however they may need to access a service cupboard or central point to make a connection. In some older systems flats are "robbed" of their connection by Installers taking the first easiest connection and they can get in a right mess.

If the HA has explained that the aerial point should provide Sky then they need to fix that problem, though the cost may be either service charges or to your landlord. This is something that the landlord will have to make a call about but the HA should explain how and if they charge so you can forewarn him and agree something on the cost.

If you can find an old sky box, hook it up and see if a signal is coming in ( no card needed).