Who's resposibility?

fizzytbomb

I have just moved into a new rental property, and when I plugged the aerial cable into our TV, it doesn't work. Tried the freeview box too and nothing. We aren't able to receive any signals. I think it maybe something to do with the outside aerial.

Who's resposibility is this to sort this out? It is the landlords, or the tenants? I can't see anything in the contract. I am trying to contact the LA with no luck yet, but I have a feeling that they may try to fob it off as a 'luxury' so not their problem!

Many thanks.

Fizzy

moneysavinmonkey

If it doesn't say anything on the contract and the antenna or tv equipment isn't listed on the inventory, i'm afraid it is down to you - bit like sorting out telephone/broadband yourself I guess. If you ask nicely your landlord/agency may be nice and sort out the outside antenna for you but they don't have to.


Have you tried to get a tv signal with an indoor aerial - just to check your tv is working or that your not in some valley dead spot.. also don't know if you have moved area or not but we were totally stumped why our television was working and until we found out that our area doesn't have ANY digital tv yet!!

pinkshoes

Can't you just get an internal aerial?

I've lived in so many houses where the aerial didn't work, I just got a good indoor one for £20.

If it doesn't mention it in the contract, then I'd presume the house doesn't have one. There's no harm in asking the landlord though, but don't approach the subject in an aggressive way demanding to know whose responsibility it is! Just politely ask if he's aware that the aerial doesn't work.

fizzytbomb

Thanks for the replies, I had a feeling it may be down to me!! Its not our tv, as we have tried and got some channels (poor though) with an internal aerial. I feel it may be because we are at the bottom of a hill, we can't get mobile reception either!! I won't bother the landlord then, will just try and sort it myself!

DGJsaver

In the old days it used to be something the LL could sort out , nowadays in the greed driven world we live in , it`s in most AST`s as a tenants problem...

Gingernutmeg

If that's the case, you may need some kind of signal booster on the aerial to get any kind of decent reception. My parents live in a village which is in a hollow and is some distance from the transmitter and everyone needs one of these boosters. I'm not sure about the costs/practicalities of installing one of these (I think, when my parents did it a few years back i was £150 ish) but if good reception's important to you and you're planning to stay it might be worth looking into. I'm sure the LL would give permission idf you sorted it yourselves.

DGJsaver

Gingernutmeg wrote: »

I'm sure the LL would give permission idf you sorted it yourselves.

That`s good of them...

Millionaire

I was in same situation as OP when I moved into current property. Aerial didnt' work.

Got advised by a good friend who knows about this stuff that Landlord doesn't have to fix it.

Anyway asked Landlord and they said if I want it fixed they would do it if i paid half the costs.

I left it at that as it gave me an excuse for the missus to get Sky.:D

moneysavinmonkey

Gingernutmeg wrote: »

If that's the case, you may need some kind of signal booster on the aerial to get any kind of decent reception. My parents live in a village which is in a hollow and is some distance from the transmitter and everyone needs one of these boosters. I'm not sure about the costs/practicalities of installing one of these (I think, when my parents did it a few years back i was £150 ish) but if good reception's important to you and you're planning to stay it might be worth looking into. I'm sure the LL would give permission idf you sorted it yourselves.

you can get little electric signal boosters which you just plug in at the mains - these only cost about 20-40 poundsish. We have one and makes a massive difference.

Might still be worth mentioning to the landlord that there is a problem with the signal in a polite way... they might fix it for you... can you see the roof from the outside of the property is there an antenna there.. maybe it just slipped in the earthquake!!

Loretta

When I moved into my current house we couldn't get a tv signal, I asked a local ariel firm to come and tell me how much it would be and they told me there was a difficulty in this village and no one could get a tv signal, this is Sussex not the Outer Hebrides! They quoted £385 + vat to sort it out. I politely declined.

I then had Sky put in for £1 and I had to take the full package for 3 months, and then I cancelled and we have the very least, which was still a lot cheaper, I think we just have the free channels because we don't pay anything. It was cheaper than the £400 odd!

There is always a way

fc123

We have no reception (fuzzy Ch 4 and ch 5 only) and I have shocked myself as I have got used to having no TV.:eek: Gordon Ramsey in v.fuzzy is good enough. Kirsty and Phil don't come through the fuzziness very well.

We decided to wait a while before we decided what to do (Sky or aerial) and, as I get so much done now in the evenings, we decided not to bother.

OH watches his trashy DVD'S, Daughter doesn't do telly (MSN addict) and I discovered reading again (oh and MSE)

And I can watch certain things on-line.

All depends on what it's going to cost you, I guess, but try 2 months telly free..it's not so bad.