The Letting Centre

TV Aerial

Question: 40
A television aerial on a property managed by us has become damaged in recent heavy winds. Who is responsible for the repair ?
Answer:
In our opinion, the issue of the correct operation and repair of television aerials is a slightly grey area. To avoid doubt, it would be wise to state whether the landlord is deemed to be responsible for any television reception equipment (including aerials and satellite dishes) and consequential wiring within the wording of the tenancy agreement. It is common practice for many landlords to exclude responsibility for the good operation or any repair to this type of equipment within the tenancy agreement since poor reception is not an uncommon problem in some areas, and landlords do not want to be drawn into taking responsibility for protracted alterations to such equipment. Where the tenancy agreement is silent on the matter, there is arguably an obligation on the landlord to repair an aerial that has been broken in a storm on the basis that it forms part of the "exterior" of the property, and is, therefore, covered by the repairing obligations of section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. Thus, if an aerial has become obviously damaged in this way, and the damage is external, then best advice would be for the landlord to carry out the repair at his own cost.
References:	Pages:	Hyperlinks:
Letting Handbook	Chapter 11	letting-handbook-and-factsheets.html

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