Freeview or live TV with just a Smart TV

Rodders53

To watch Freeview requires an aerial (UHF TV antenna). 

It need not cost a lot to have one installed / the existing one repaired but may require freeholder consent to fix to the building if the basement (flat?) is leasehold. 

Installation could be funded from the savings in VM rental costs, with a quick payback time.  Their old non-smart TV would also likely have a Freeview tuner built in to be used?

DO try a TV on the cable entering the bedroom.  If it works great... it may be easy to extend /share the feed to the other room.  If it's poor and if the antenna is a communal shared antenna for the building then it may need fixing and that cost might be funded by the building freeholder/management company.