TV Licence Question

JimArnold

TVLA agree that a laptop running of its own internal batteries does not need a license - if you normally live at home AND your parents have a licence. It doesn't matter what sort of aerial you are using. However the training of TVLA men is pretty poor and many do not know this.

What has never been tested yet in court is what happens if you plug it in - it could be argues that you are still running from the internal batteries but recharging them at the same time.
More importantly
1) they cannot gain access to your flat without your permission or obtaining a specific warrant
2) Tv detector vans and the hand held detectors can tell which channel you are watching - the reradiated signal is a different freq but AFAIK they can't tell if its plugged in.

So if a TVLA man does knock at the door make it clear he does not have permission to enter - make him wait while you make a cup of tea etc etc and then invite him in to watch TV on your unplugged laptop

stuwilky

Savvy_Sue wrote:

Someone has posted somewhere on the boards saying they were prosecuted, and it was expensive, but I don't remember who or where.

I dont mean in the entire country! Just in our halls.

Testee

Many years ago I used to work on the TV detector vans and at that time if a person insisted they didn't have a television (that is to say didn't have the apparatus that was capable of receiving television broadcasts) and they refused us entry to their property we had to apply for a warrant to enter the premises if we wanted to take it further and this meant a policeman to accompany us. It is expensive and time-consuming and in all the time I did this work we only once applied for a warrant.

The procedure may have changed today but I think it's unlikely.

trickytrolleys

Most people only get caught for no tv license because they admit it there and then and let them in! If they come tell them they can only come in if they have a warrant - my bet is you wont see them again! There is a website that campaigns for an end to the license fee - ive signed - if anybody would like the link you can pm me, I would post it but im not sure if i would be allowed!

jenny_f

Argh - I'm confused! Last year I lived in uni halls, each room having a seperate address and so we all had our own TV license. This year I'm sharing a house with 5 other students, all the bedrooms have lockable doors yet it's all one address and so I would suspect we only need one license, as per a house with a family in. Could anyone confrim this? Most of the time the bedroom doors will be unlocked though.

Bossyboots

jenny_f wrote:

Argh - I'm confused! Last year I lived in uni halls, each room having a seperate address and so we all had our own TV license. This year I'm sharing a house with 5 other students, all the bedrooms have lockable doors yet it's all one address and so I would suspect we only need one license, as per a house with a family in. Could anyone confrim this? Most of the time the bedroom doors will be unlocked though.

Is it a joint tenancy or six separate tenancy agreements?

HGLTsuperstar

If you're in a house, then 1 licence should suffice as it's not obvious that there are individual tenants in a residential address. If you're worried and want to play it safe, feel free and more profit to the BBC for repeats of "Only Fools and Horses".

jenny_f

Erm I'm not sure, we all signed a contract if that means anything

gizmoleeds

jenny_f wrote:

Erm I'm not sure, we all signed a contract if that means anything

Do you have a copy? The TVLA are very specific on student homes - basically if you have single tennancy agreements you each need licences, if there is one tenancy agreement for the group of you, then you only need one.

Savvy_Sue

jenny_f wrote:

Erm I'm not sure, we all signed a contract if that means anything

If you all signed the same contract, then one TV licence should be enough (and you are ALL liable for the rent if ONE of you fails to pay). If you each signed an individual contract then you need an individual licence for each room (but on the plus side if one of you fails to pay the rent then the rest of you aren't liable for their share).

Does that help?