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AIBU?

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Original poster

Who should pay for TV licence

64 replies

TeddyBare · 02/10/2012 17:12

My DN is a student living in a house with other students. Her new house mates have decided to get a TV for downstairs and therefore need to get a TV licence. DN has been presented with a bill for her share of the licence although she doesn't want to watch TV and therefore won't need a licence and wasn't consulted in the decision to get one. She is going to pay "her" share in the interests of having a peaceful house but as it's about £35 each it's going to mess up her budget or come out of her overdraft and she is a bit miffed about it. Of course smooth relations in the house are more important than quibbling over this, but I can't help but feel like she is being taken advantage of a bit. AIBU to think that the house mates who want to watch TV should be the ones to pay for the licence?

OP posts:
Sirzy · 02/10/2012 17:14

A tv licence is a house expense therefore she should pay her share of it IMO

Unless she plans on never being in the living room when the TV is on!

aldiwhore · 02/10/2012 17:16

What Sirzy says. It may be unfair in terms of viewing balance, but it is a household expense. I predict a few rows about her not getting her money's worth on choice at some point!

It's just one of those things, and perfectly perfectly common and usual in shared housing.

Lucie99 · 02/10/2012 17:17

YABU ... it is a shared house. I'm guessing there will come a time when there is something on the TV that she wants to watch therefore she must contribute to the licence.

maddening · 02/10/2012 17:19

She should pay, maybe give her the money to cover it for Christmas?

mum11970 · 02/10/2012 17:19

Are you saying in 12 months she will never watch the tv in the living room, on her laptop or iPad? I'm afraid it is a common household bill and she should pitch in.

MrSunshine · 02/10/2012 17:21

YANBU. If you move into a house with no tv, and then someone else decides to put one in, why should you pay for it? She wasn't consulted and didn't want it.

Hopeforever · 02/10/2012 17:21

Yes, if she watches on her laptop it still counts.

'In my day' when we had locks on our rooms we had to get a licence each....

MrSunshine · 02/10/2012 17:23

it only counts if you watch LIVE tv on your laptop. Recorded programmes you don't need a license for.

McHappyPants2012 · 02/10/2012 17:23

in my student day i didn't have time to watch TV, i was either working on placement or assignment.

I wouldn't be happy if i had to pay £35 of limited money for a tv licence

Original poster
TeddyBare · 02/10/2012 17:28

I don't think you need a TV licence to watch iPlayer but as far as I'm aware DN doesn't even watch that. We're a fairly non-TV family and her parent's have never had a TV so I'm pretty sure she won't be watching it. She does a lot of sport (fairly seriously so training most days) and has a part time job so she probably doesn't have much spare time anyway.

OP posts:
ByTheWay1 · 02/10/2012 17:29

lol - my student days we didn't have time for TV either -
weekdays studies and pub-work , eating and sleeping -

engineering course, so lab work Saturdays too! Saturday night was party night,
Sunday - work and study, eat and sleep

Didn't have a TV... no point

MatureUniStudent · 02/10/2012 17:30

I think your niece is being unreasonable. I cannot believe that she will not join in with her housemates and watch the TV. Also, you outlined the very important reason of getting on with everyone, she should chip in.
I do think it was unfair of the housemates that they did not ask her before they brought the TV into the house - that perhaps says more about this issue, that the housemates don't include her and it is that reason I would be concerned about, as it is important for your DN to be happy in her houseshare.

Sirzy · 02/10/2012 17:33

She lives in a group house therefore she has to go with the majority decision.

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 02/10/2012 17:36

She should pay her share. It's the same as the rest of the country. There are things I don't want my tax money to pay for but if I want to live in this country, I have to pay up. If your DN wants to live in the house, she has to pay up.

RuleBritannia · 02/10/2012 17:37

It's as much a household expense as paying to have a drain cleared or the windows cleaned.

Unfortunately, it's like paying Council Tax, which includes Education, and you don't have children to be educated.

whois · 02/10/2012 17:47

YABU

Shared house = shared costs.

Not even worth bothering about for £35 as over the course of the year that's pretty good value entertainment even of she only hangs out for an hour a week with her friends in front of the TV.

I don't know any students who DON'T watch TV. That was the primary activity after sleeping, going out (and being at lectures).

SparklyGothKat · 02/10/2012 17:51

All the students here watch tv. Hear it blasting out the houses late at night.

madonnawhore · 02/10/2012 17:51

I lived in loads of shared houses when I was at uni and just starting my career. I would gladly pay £35 a year just to not have to deal with the bad vibes shirking a share of the license would inevitably engender.

fedupofnamechanging · 02/10/2012 17:53

I don't think she should pay. She doesn't want the tv and wasn't asked.

It's not relevant, imo if it goes in the communal living room - it still wasn't her choice to have it and given the choice would have elected not to.

While it's important to have harmony in a shared house, it's also important not to let people take the piss. So by all means, she can let this one go, but if they regularly make decisions and fail to consult her, whilst still expecting her to pay for their choices, she will have to start saying no and harmony be damned!

impty · 02/10/2012 18:05

She has to pay. It is reasonable to be asked to be consulted on any future decisions. However, majority rules..

As for house sharing...phone bills were the worst! Thankfully those days are gone!

sookiesookie · 02/10/2012 18:11

Perhaps they did ask because they all decided it was a yes and majority rule in these houses.

The only way I would agree OP is if prior to moving into the house they had all agreed not to have a tv to keep expense down. A tv license in a normal bill, I assume they are not splitting other bills down to who uses more. Do they time the showers?

I don't believe she will never ever watch the tv at all. Is she planning on spending no time with her house mates?

LRDtheFeministDragon · 02/10/2012 18:11

She should have discussed it with them before they all moved in together. Morally, no, they shouldn't ask her to pay. Comparing it to having drains cleaned, or council tax (from which students are exempt) is ridiculous. She doesn't watch TV and a license is a luxury plenty of students don't choose to go for.

Still, I reckon if it were me I'd grind my teeth and pay up, because otherwise it'll end up in a huge row.

Next year she should live with people who can sort out financial arrangements first!

sookiesookie · 02/10/2012 18:12

perhaps the didn't ask

Viviennemary · 02/10/2012 18:19

She should pay it I think. And I don't know of course, but I would think it is very unlikely that she will not watch any TV at all. I think most young people would just assume that a TV would be bought for the house.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 02/10/2012 18:25

vivienne - FWIW, I have been a student for nearly ten years now, and very few students I know buy TVs. It's seen as a bit of a luxury. A few rich people will do it, but that should be their decision.

I'm sure that varies from place to place, but I doubt the majority of undergraduates would think a TV was not a bit of a luxury.

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