Do Landlords Need to Provide a TV Licence?
Standard tenancy: tenant pays. Bills-included: check the agreement. Holiday let: landlord pays. The full responsibility map.
The default: tenant is responsible
The default rule for any standard residential tenancy in the UK is that the tenant is responsible for the TV licence at their rented address. The landlord has no general legal obligation to provide a licence, and there is no statutory requirement for landlords to include the licence in their lettings package.
This is consistent with the per-address structure of the TV licence (covered in detail in our laptop and phone TV licence guide). The licence is tied to the property and to the act of watching live TV or iPlayer at the property. Since the tenant is the person who lives at and uses the property, the tenant is the natural licence-holder.
The practical exception is when the landlord-tenant agreement explicitly allocates the licence cost to the landlord, or when the property is operated as a furnished short-let or holiday rental where the landlord effectively functions as a hospitality provider. The detail of each case matters.
Responsibility by tenancy type
| Tenancy type | Licence responsibility | Typical practice |
|---|---|---|
| Standard AST (unfurnished) | Tenant | Tenant buys their own licence |
| Standard AST (furnished, no TV) | Tenant | Tenant buys if they bring a TV |
| Standard AST (furnished, TV provided) | Tenant | Tenant buys licence to use provided TV |
| Bills-included AST | Check agreement | Usually utilities only, not licence |
| Furnished short-let (under 6 months) | Landlord | Landlord operates as hospitality |
| Serviced apartment | Landlord | Landlord runs as commercial unit |
| Holiday let / Airbnb | Landlord | One licence covers all guests |
| Purpose-built student accommodation | Operator + individual rooms | Building licence + individual rooms |
| HMO (room tenancies) | Tenant per room | Usually one licence for shared TV |
| Lodger in homeowner's house | Homeowner | Home licence covers everyone |
The bills-included nuance
"Bills included" tenancies have become more common, particularly in the student and young-professional rental markets. The phrase is a marketing convenience, not a defined legal term. What is actually included varies enormously between tenancies and you should never assume what "bills" covers without checking.
Typical inclusions in a "bills-included" tenancy:
- • Water (almost always)
- • Gas and electricity (usually, sometimes with a fair-use cap)
- • Broadband and Wi-Fi (often)
- • Council tax (sometimes; students are exempt)
- • Cleaning (sometimes, particularly in serviced accommodation)
- • TV licence: usually NOT included
If the TV licence is included, the tenancy agreement should explicitly say so. If the agreement is silent, the default assumption is that the tenant is responsible. If a tenant assumes "bills included" covers the licence and the landlord disagrees, the tenant remains liable to TV Licensing in the first instance. Any dispute is between the tenant and the landlord; TV Licensing does not adjudicate.
Holiday lets and short-term rentals
Holiday lets, Airbnbs, and other short-term furnished rentals fall under a different rule. If the property has a TV that guests can use (whether for live TV, iPlayer, or general streaming), the landlord is responsible for the TV licence. Guests are not expected to bring their own licence to a holiday property; that would be administratively absurd.
One standard TV licence (£180/year) covers the property for an unlimited number of guests over the year. This is true regardless of how many bedrooms, how many TVs, or how many guests stay during the year. The licence is per property, not per booking. A single holiday-let licence at £180/year typically covers many dozens of weekly bookings.
If the holiday let is part of a larger commercial operation (a holiday park, a serviced-apartments brand, a hotel-style operation), the standard licence is replaced by the HARC (Hotel and Mobile Units) concessionary licence. HARC uses a per-room fee schedule and is designed for properties operating at hotel scale. See our hotel and B&B TV licence guide for HARC details.
If you are a landlord, what to put in the tenancy agreement
Landlords renting to standard tenants on assured shorthold tenancies should include a clear clause stating that the TV licence is the tenant's responsibility. This is the legal default but stating it explicitly removes any ambiguity. A typical clause reads: "The Tenant is responsible for the TV Licence at the Property if they watch live broadcast TV or use BBC iPlayer."
If you are providing a fully-managed bills-included tenancy and want to include the TV licence, state it explicitly and clarify what happens if the tenant cancels the licence or under-pays. Best practice is for the landlord to hold the licence (rather than reimburse the tenant), so the licence remains in place between tenancies.
For holiday lets and Airbnbs, hold the licence in your name and check that details are correctly registered to the property address. Guests do not need to be informed individually but a welcome-pack mention is courteous ("A TV licence is held for this property; you can use the TV and iPlayer freely").
Not legal advice
For your specific situation, check tvlicensing.co.uk or seek free advice from Citizens Advice or National Residential Landlords Association.