TV Licensing

Don't let a TV Licence fine leave egg on your face

With the UK tourism industry talking confidently of a bumper Easter, TV Licensing is reminding hotels, guest houses and holiday parks across the UK to ensure they are correctly licensed and avoid the risk of a £1,000 fine.  

According to recent figures from Visit Britain, UK holidaymakers took 16% fewer trips abroad last year, favouring UK breaks instead. Following one of the coldest winters in recent years and with the Easter holidays set for the first signs of a sunny spring, Britain's holiday accommodation providers could be busier than ever.

TV Licensing enquiry officers will be out visiting across the holiday period, using TV Licensing’s database of almost 30 million UK addresses to identify premises, including holiday accommodation, where they suspect that people are watching TV illegally.

Holiday accommodation providers which offer rooms, caravans and chalets as short stay accommodation can apply for a Hotel and Mobile Unit Licence. This means that they buy one licence for the first 15 units of accommodation, then a further licence for each subsequent five units. Holiday parks with fewer than 15 units of accommodation still need to apply for the Hotel and Mobile Unit Licence, but just pay the equivalent of one TV Licence - £145.50 as of April 1st 2010.

Any privately owned caravans or holiday chalets on site must be covered by their own licence and do not come under the responsibility of the holiday park.

Jon Boston of the British Holiday and Home Parks Association, said:

“Our advice to members is always to ensure they are up to date with current rules and legislation affecting their businesses, and this of course includes the need to ensure their park has met TV licensing requirements."

Jon Shaw, TV Licensing spokesperson, said:

“With more people choosing to stay in the UK for their holidays again this Easter, hotels and holiday parks could have a bumper break. It’s essential that managers of holiday sites ensure they are covered so they can enjoy the Easter holidays without the worry of an unwelcome guest and the risk of a fine of up to £1,000.

We would always rather people pay for their TV Licence than risk a prosecution and a fine. Managers can get in touch with our hotels team if they have any questions by calling 0300 790 6016 or find out more at www.tvlicensing.co.uk/hotels.”

ENDS

For further information, please contact the TV Licensing press office on 0207 544 3144.

Notes to editors

A colour TV Licence costs £145.50 and a black and white licence is £49 (as of April 1st 2010 when this rose from £142.50 and £48 respectively)

If you use or install television equipment to receive or record television programmes at the same time as they are being shown on TV, you need to be covered by a valid TV Licence.  Watching TV illegally risks prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.

When is a licence not needed?

Your hotel or guest house doesn't need a licence if the TV set is never used to receive or record television programmes, but is only used:

• For closed circuit monitoring
• For watching pre-recorded videos/DVDs

Paying for a hotel licence

Hotel licences can only be purchased directly from TV Licensing.  You can purchase a multiple licence for more than one hotel in the same chain, which means that just one reminder is sent to Head Office when the licence is due for renewal.

To apply for your hotel licence, please fill in the online form at www.tvlicensing.co.uk/hotels and return it to us, together with your payment at TV Licensing, Bristol, BS1 3ZZ, or call us on 0300 790 6124.

Hotels can also pay by BACS electronic transfer.  Please phone 0300 790 6016 for more information.