casesensitive Report post Posted November 20, 2009 Basic back story, I have been living here 2 or so months, started well but 2 people moved in who liked to have heating on full blast a lot which made me feel ill and worse since bills are in my name. Another person moved in and sided with me, well up until tonight anyway. I am moving next week so ordered a bill a few weeks early, and I spoke to the highest user and was polite and said that it will be a high bill and to keep quite a lot of cash aside, he replied that he has been here only about 9 weeks so it wont be! I also mentioned that I still need this months internet (its 4 weeks late) and as I said this the girl I normally get on with came out of her room and shouted at me since a tv licensing letter arrived today stating that there is no license at the house and we are breaking law, she was screaming saying that I have my tv in the living room so they would all get fined because of my stupidity, I said to her that there is no way they could fine us because I have no digibox and there is no longer analog signals and she told me she contacted Tv Licensing and they said I need a licensing to own equipment that can recieve tv, she then goes on and says that EVERYONE pays a license and we will be the only house on the entire street without one, and all students buy one etc(WTF!) and that unless I move my tv upstairs tonight she will call them on me and get me fined! I said to her that its impossible to move the tv as its about 50kg, and the guy talks and says it wont be hard if he helps so whats the problem putting it in my room, I said again no point especially since a friend of mine is moving it for me with his car in morning to new place, and they both went on about why couldnt my friend come tonight! By this point I had enough as I was shaking and said I was going out as I am fed up of the way I am treated in the house, bills all in my name, internet 4 weeks in arrears(at which point girl said I never told her at any point in last 4 weeks it was due!) and the guy says why do I want to go out, cant I handle an adult conversation etc. I can go on more, but will leave it a few posts! Please give me advice as landlord isnt answering phone, nor is my best friend and I have a pain in my chest and dizzy and I feel like smashing stuff up. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bid Report post Posted November 20, 2009 Sorry, probably not helpful, but you do need a TV licence. Bid Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
casesensitive Report post Posted November 20, 2009 Sorry, probably not helpful, but you do need a TV licence. Bid No you dont, its only for live broadcasts so if your tv cant pick up a live signal which is normally by a tv aerial into the tv or a digibox or say a cable box or SKY you dont need one. I dont have any aerials attached and the analog signal was switched off months ago here as well and no digibox in the house. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KezT Report post Posted November 20, 2009 why are the bills in your name? Especially if you are intending to leave - tbh you've got virtually no chance of getting the money off them - you have no recourse if they refuse! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trekster Report post Posted November 20, 2009 Was the signal switched off within the last 3 months? Tv licences are paid 3 months in advance but as it is all in your name you will need to sort this out. Either explain the story to a male friend/relative and ask them to help you make the call or call them. According to the tv licence people you do need a TV licence post switchover (see below) http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ112/ "Will I still need a TV Licence after the digital switchover? Yes. The TV Licensing requirements for digital television are the same as for analogue. If you are using television receiving equipment to watch or record TV programmes as they are being shown on television, you will still need a TV Licence." So unless you have been literally told "if you choose not to use your tv in the house after the switch-over we wont be charging you for a licence" or you can prove that a letter was sent to the licensing people cancelling the licence you will be liable for anything over the last 3 months. You need to ring them up to cancel the licence anyway so you might as well enquire about your existing licence validity and cancel it at the same time. You are not stupid for not realising something that wasn't properly explained to you, but doing all you can to resolve this problem will support any debt cases that could occur later on. i dont know what rights these students have but if it was legal i would get the landlord out to change the locks so they couldn't get back in. "Do I need a TV Licence? In the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man, you need a TV Licence if you use equipment to watch or record TV programme services as they're being shown on TV (including foreign satellite services). This includes use of the following: * Television set * Digital box * DVD or video recorder * PC or laptop * Mobile phone You only need one TV Licence per household, even if you use more than one of the devices listed above. A TV Licence costs £142.50 per year for colour TV, and £48.00 per year for black and white. Watching TV without a valid licence is illegal. If you are watching TV without a valid licence, you risk prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000. See payment methods for information on all the different ways you can buy a TV Licence. You can buy a TV Licence online. http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ1/ " The tv licence folk can prove if you have been watching the tv. It looks like your tenants have been watching the tv and are now concerned they are going to get fined for this. Alexis Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
casesensitive Report post Posted November 20, 2009 Was the signal switched off within the last 3 months? Tv licences are paid 3 months in advance but as it is all in your name you will need to sort this out. Either explain the story to a male friend/relative and ask them to help you make the call or call them. According to the tv licence people you do need a TV licence post switchover (see below) http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ112/ "Will I still need a TV Licence after the digital switchover? Yes. The TV Licensing requirements for digital television are the same as for analogue. If you are using television receiving equipment to watch or record TV programmes as they are being shown on television, you will still need a TV Licence." So unless you have been literally told "if you choose not to use your tv in the house after the switch-over we wont be charging you for a licence" or you can prove that a letter was sent to the licensing people cancelling the licence you will be liable for anything over the last 3 months. You need to ring them up to cancel the licence anyway so you might as well enquire about your existing licence validity and cancel it at the same time. You are not stupid for not realising something that wasn't properly explained to you, but doing all you can to resolve this problem will support any debt cases that could occur later on. i dont know what rights these students have but if it was legal i would get the landlord out to change the locks so they couldn't get back in. "Do I need a TV Licence? In the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man, you need a TV Licence if you use equipment to watch or record TV programme services as they're being shown on TV (including foreign satellite services). This includes use of the following: * Television set * Digital box * DVD or video recorder * PC or laptop * Mobile phone You only need one TV Licence per household, even if you use more than one of the devices listed above. A TV Licence costs £142.50 per year for colour TV, and £48.00 per year for black and white. Watching TV without a valid licence is illegal. If you are watching TV without a valid licence, you risk prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000. See payment methods for information on all the different ways you can buy a TV Licence. You can buy a TV Licence online. http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ1/ " The tv licence folk can prove if you have been watching the tv. It looks like your tenants have been watching the tv and are now concerned they are going to get fined for this. Alexis I think you are getting mixed up, I dont recieve signals that says clearly there what you need one for, and we are all student tenants and dont have a license(girl claims she has one just to watch dvds and videos on her portable tv in her bedroom) The funniest thing is I was getting rid of the tv tommorow as moving and the girl said why cant I move it tonight in case they come round and I am putting them all at risk. The guy doesnt own a tv. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NobbyNobbs Report post Posted November 20, 2009 i think you have to call them and declare that you have a tv but are not recieving any tv signal. i did this at university when i only had my tv to watch course material videos. they can check that this is the case from outside your property if your tv is the only one in the house. you can't buy any tv/freeview boxes these days without providing an address where the equipment will be used so that tv licensing can check up on you. also if you are each paying rent individually and have seperate contracts with the landlord each person using a tv has to have a tv license (a nice way to rip off students). if you're moving out so soon, why haven't any of the bills been changed into someone elses name? legally you are liable to pay unless you declare you no longer live there and arrange someone else to be named. it would also be very difficult to force one person to pay more than their equal share of a bill unless it is an itemised phone bill where you can prove they are using more than anyone else. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trekster Report post Posted November 21, 2009 Agree with nobby nobbs, With exception to the phone bill (where you can prove normally that numbers called are unknown to you), bills have to be divided equally between all of you. Alexis Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kathryn Report post Posted November 21, 2009 Hope you manage to sort it out. If the utilities are in your name it's essential that you take meter readings on the day you leave, and notify the gas and electricity people of your leaving date and the name of the person the bill is being transferred to. K x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sf-313 Report post Posted November 21, 2009 Hey, I'm in a similar position at the minute. I'm moving to my Uni on Sunday and we're trying to get everything sorted by tomorrow evening. I'm the only one here with a TV but we only need one License between us because the bedroom doors don't have locks on them. It can be a real pain sometimes. Scott Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
casesensitive Report post Posted November 21, 2009 Hey, I'm in a similar position at the minute. I'm moving to my Uni on Sunday and we're trying to get everything sorted by tomorrow evening. I'm the only one here with a TV but we only need one License between us because the bedroom doors don't have locks on them. It can be a real pain sometimes. Scott An update, came back to find a printout attached to the tv stating the fines for evaders, and how they have high tech equipment, and a fleet of detector vans that can easily detect people etc. Furious, If only I had a printer I could print out pages stating that I dont need a license and other sites talking about how they word the terms badly that makes you think one thing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tally Report post Posted November 21, 2009 Who attached the list to your TV? Have the TV License people visited and said you need to buy a license? If you are convinced you do not need a licence and this notice has not come from someone in an official capacity, then you do not need to pay any attention to it. The TV licensing people send out these threatening letters as a matter of course. I received one when I moved house even though I had not moved in my television yet. My brother had one at his uni halls of residence saying that they were going to prosecute even though he had no television. You just need to call them and explain that your TV is out of use, and they will get off your back. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mumble Report post Posted November 24, 2009 she told me she contacted TV Licensing and they said I need a licensing to own equipment that can receive TV, she then goes on and says that EVERYONE pays a license and we will be the only house on the entire street without one, and all students buy one etc(WTF!) You do need a TV licence if you have equipment capable of receiving or recording TV (even if you claim you don't have it all, it doesn't work etc - after all, how many other people would be claiming that? - if it genuinely doesn't work, just call/email/write to them (there's even a section on the letters they send to complete) and tell them). I actually find your comment about students a little insulting - I have a TV licence as do most other students in my accommodation (because we all have numbered doors, we each have to have one!! - you get off lightly only needing one for the whole household). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
casesensitive Report post Posted November 25, 2009 You do need a TV licence if you have equipment capable of receiving or recording TV (even if you claim you don't have it all, it doesn't work etc - after all, how many other people would be claiming that? - if it genuinely doesn't work, just call/email/write to them (there's even a section on the letters they send to complete) and tell them). I actually find your comment about students a little insulting - I have a TV licence as do most other students in my accommodation (because we all have numbered doors, we each have to have one!! - you get off lightly only needing one for the whole household). No you dont, that is part of the problem as the licensing people word the website and letters to confuse people and the website contradicts itself. You only need a license to watch or record programmes as they are being broadcast. Confused to you getting insulted over the student comment since I am in my mid twenties and lived in about 5-10 student digs in the last 10 years and apart from the first place I had, none of the others had tv licenses(apart from halls which were licensed for the common room) I lived ina 40 bedroom house last year and not a single student had a license, lived in a 20 room one after that again no one had a licene, was in a 100 odd bedroom halls of residence before that again no one with a license. You do not need a license to just own a tv, if it was then you would need a license per tv and think about when you buy a games console, you dont get asked to fill in a license form do you since you need a tv to use it same for a laptop etc. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
