When do I need a TV Licence?
If you live in halls of residence and use a device to watch/record TV in your own room at the same time as they are being shown on TV or dowloaded from BBC iplayer you need your own separate TV Licence.

You also need your own licence if you are sharing a house with other students and use a device to watch/record TV in your room, and your room is a separately occupied place (a separate tenancy agreement would normally indicate that this is the case).

If you have a separate tenancy agreement but a television is only being used in a communal area, then only one licence is required.

If you are sharing a house with other students and you use a device to watch/record TV in your own room, but the house can be treated as one place shared by all, then only one TV Licence is required (a joint tenancy agreement would usually be evidence that the house is a single licensable place for this purpose).

A device powered by its own internal batteries - a pocket sized TV or a mobile phone for example - may be covered by a licence at your parents' address.  However, you must not plug it into the mains when using it to receive television. If there is no TV Licence at your parents’ address, you will need to obtain one to watch TV.

What about catch up TV?

You need a TV Licence if you are watching or recording television programmes at the same time as they are being shown on TV and from 1st September 2016, you will need a TV licence to download or watch BBC programmes on demand, including catch up TV, on BBC iPlayer. This is the case no matter what device you’re watching on – whether it’s on a TV, a laptop, a mobile phone or a tablet, and no matter how you’re receiving the programmes - via an aerial, satellite, cable or streaming through the internet. It’s the law and anyone without a valid TV Licence who watches or records television programmes as described above is at risk of prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000. 

 A colour TV Licence currently costs £145.50. There are a host of ways to pay including direct debit, by cash, and in installments. 

Don’t forget the Student Refund! 

If you’re leaving your halls or rented accommodation and moving back home for the summer, there’s a good chance you won’t need your TV Licence if there’s one at home. If there are three full calendar months before your licence expires, you’ll be entitled to a refund for the unused quarters of your licence. 

If you wish to arrange a refund or would like further information, simply click on the following link: TV Licensing for students or call TV Licensing on 0300 790 6090. 

Am I covered by my parents’ TV Licence?
Your parents' TV Licence will not cover you away from home in most cases.

How will anyone know if I don’t have a TV Licence?
TV Licensing’s database lists addresses that don’t have a TV Licence, including university accommodation. TV Licensing officers regularly visit universities and will be doing so over the next few months, with the consent and co-operation of university authorities. If you use television-receiving equipment without a valid TV Licence, you risk prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000, plus court costs, and you will need to buy a TV Licence if you still need one. 

When don’t I need a licence?

If you only ever watch catch-up TV services such as 4OD, ITV Player, Blu-Rays, DVDs or downloaded videos on your laptop, you do not need a TV Licence. 

If you do not need a TV Licence, you can find out more information and let the TV Licencing agency know by visiting  www.tvlicensing.co.uk/NLN

Further information see this pack.