Must landlord provide telephone line/service to tenant?

[jeffrey]

SEB, as I mentioned, we know that they are not required to supply the phone line. What we want to know is whether they were required to TELL us that it wasn't supplied before we payed the admin fee to apply to let. This information would have likely impacted our decision to take this property, or at least would have prompted us to try to negotiate.

No. L must tell truth if asked, but need not volunteer information unless there is a legal duty to do so.

[oryosha]

There is no obligation for the LL to provide a telephone line, working or not.
A telephone line is not specified as one of the services requried by the LL to provide.
If you check the LTA, you will see the extent of the LL's obligations.

If a previous occupant had a line installed in a property and a potential tenant sees a phone socket or enquires about a phone line during a viewing etc., then the LL or agent can enlghten them as to the situation.
Otherwise, treat a phone line like cable/satellite TV service.

SEB, as I mentioned, we know that they are not required to supply the phone line. What we want to know is whether they were required to TELL us that it wasn't supplied before we payed the admin fee to apply to let. This information would have likely impacted our decision to take this property, or at least would have prompted us to try to negotiate.

[ah84]

Yes I would have thought that unless the lease specifies that landlord will provide a telephone line then they dont have to.

[SEB]

I have a related question:

Yesterday, we agreed to rent a property and paid the non-refundable fee to the agent. Today, we called BT to arrange transfer of our telephone service, and were told that there is no BT line in our new house and so we'd have to pay £124.95 to have the line installed. We called the agent, who said it's nothing to do with them, but obliged us by calling the landlady; she confirmed that there had been a BT line up until a year ago when a previous tenant switched to another company.

We know that the landlady is not obliged to provide a BT line, but was she and/or the agent legally obliged to tell us that there wasn't one so that we could reasonably plan for the expense? Also, if we proceed to pay this fee (I don't see how we can't), can we expect at least partial compensation since it really is an improvement to the property?

Thanks so much for any advice.

There is no obligation for the LL to provide a telephone line, working or not.
A telephone line is not specified as one of the services requried by the LL to provide.
If you check the LTA, you will see the extent of the LL's obligations.

If a previous occupant had a line installed in a property and a potential tenant sees a phone socket or enquires about a phone line during a viewing etc., then the LL or agent can enlghten them as to the situation.
Otherwise, treat a phone line like cable/satellite TV service.

[oryosha]

I have a related question:

Yesterday, we agreed to rent a property and paid the non-refundable fee to the agent. Today, we called BT to arrange transfer of our telephone service, and were told that there is no BT line in our new house and so we'd have to pay £124.95 to have the line installed. We called the agent, who said it's nothing to do with them, but obliged us by calling the landlady; she confirmed that there had been a BT line up until a year ago when a previous tenant switched to another company.

We know that the landlady is not obliged to provide a BT line, but was she and/or the agent legally obliged to tell us that there wasn't one so that we could reasonably plan for the expense? Also, if we proceed to pay this fee (I don't see how we can't), can we expect at least partial compensation since it really is an improvement to the property?

Thanks so much for any advice.

[P.Pilcher]

It is because of that. BT are well known to have difficulty in transferring contracts between landlord and tenant at the start of a tenancy and then back to the landlord at its end - unlike the utility companies. I always ensure that my tenants end their contract with BT or any other telephone provider when they terminate their tenancies for this reason. The new tenant can then carry out his own negociations with BT or whoever for the restoration of the services they want from the telephone line.

P.P.

[Loki117]

Jeffry how is this true that the landlord doesnt have to provide a working telephone line?

In my AST it states the telephone as a utility and as such I am responsible for paying any outstanding debts on that line from my tenancy start date to my tenancy end date regardless of the fact if my name is on the bill or not. I was really surprised to find that out from my agent but is it only because it is in my contract?

Tom

[Pelican eats pigeon]

Yes. BT at least reconnects free if there is an existing line previously disconnected (as long as no arrears b/f!)

I actually think they try to charge for it now in some circumstances (since last year), but we had a very strange situation with crossed wires somewhere as well. It's a long story, but in the end we persuaded them to sort it out for free.

[jeffrey]

If the telephone line is just switched off at the exchange (don't know the technical term), she may be able to persuade them to reconnect it for free.

Yes. BT at least reconnects free if there is an existing line previously disconnected (as long as no arrears b/f!)

[P.Pilcher]

I beg to differ slightly from Jeffrey: If, on viewing, the potential tenant saw a telephone socket on the wall, he could have assumed that a telephone line was connected to it and negociated on that basis. It would have been reasonable for him to pay a "reconnection fee" but IMHO the original (humungous) charge to initially install the line should be the responsibility of the landlord. This should of course be a "one off" charge which is normally paid on new houses. Of course, if you wish to srictly stick to the letter of the law, Jeffrey is perfectly correct, but there may be a little more to it.

P.P.

[Pelican eats pigeon]

If the telephone line is just switched off at the exchange (don't know the technical term), she may be able to persuade them to reconnect it for free - it takes a lot of arguing though.

If there is no line at all in the property, that's her problem as well.

[jeffrey]

There is no way that a landlord is obliged to provide a telephone line, internet, sky TV etc.

As a landlord, I think you are limited to providing gas/electricity/oil for heating/cooking/water heating and a water supply.

I agree. See s.11 of LTA 1985.

[mind the gap]

We have recently moved house and transferred our telephone account to our new house. We have kept the old house and are renting it out (our first step in to Landlord and Tenant) and the tenant is claiming we are obliged to provide a working telephone line for her.......she has been quoted £106 to connect and set up a new account.

Is she right ?

Many thanks

Is a working telephone line specified in the inventory?

[TenantsLuvMe]

We have recently moved house and transferred our telephone account to our new house. We have kept the old house and are renting it out (our first step in to Landlord and Tenant) and the tenant is claiming we are obliged to provide a working telephone line for her.......she has been quoted £106 to connect and set up a new account.

Is she right ?

Many thanks

There is no way that a landlord is obliged to provide a telephone line, internet, sky TV etc.

As a landlord, I think you are limited to providing gas/electricity/oil for heating/cooking/water heating and a water supply.

[milliesdad]

We have recently moved house and transferred our telephone account to our new house. We have kept the old house and are renting it out (our first step in to Landlord and Tenant) and the tenant is claiming we are obliged to provide a working telephone line for her.......she has been quoted £106 to connect and set up a new account.

Is she right ?

Many thanks