Could I be fined re TV licence?

[orangemum92]

Hi. I was in 3rd year of uni and had paid my accommodation up until January next year. However, I've had to drop out for reasons I won't go into, and have moved in with my boyfriend in another city because that is where my job is. I essentially sublet from him, i.e. I pay him £400 a month which goes towards his mortgage/bills. I tried to formally leave the accommodation, however due to the contract I am stuck unless I find someone to take my room, which I haven't been able to do. So, I suppose I am legally still a tenant until the day after the date I've paid my rent up to?

Anyway, I haven't actually lived/stayed in the flat since April time, as I've been living in my boyfriend's house. Most of my stuff is out of there apart from a few odd bits. However, last weekend I was visiting a uni friend in the uni city, so it was easier to stay at the flat. I stayed there for two nights, during which time I went on BBC iPlayer to watch Strictly live. On the screen where it asks if you have a TV licence, I accidentally clicked no instead of yes. My ex-flatmate and I never obtained a TV licence for the flat because, although we had TVs, they were not connected to any aerial or whatever they're called. We literally only used the TVs for Netflix and YouTube via airplay. I'm now really concerned that they're going to investigate me and somehow punish me for not having a TV licence, even though I pay towards it at my boyfriend's house. I haven't changed my address on my BBC account so it still shows my uni address which they will obviously know does not have a TV licence associated.

My questions are:

1. are they likely to do anything to me?
2. if so, how valid would my defence be about living at my boyfriend's? He's told council tax that I'm living there so it should be on record somewhere, plus I've changed it with my bank and my work. But concerned that I might legally be liable to buy one for the flat since I'm technically still in a tenancy agreement with them.

Help!!
TIA x

There's nothing at all to suggest that the BBC monitor iPlayer log-ins in any way. The checkbox is purely a mechanism to redirect you to a sign-up site if you answer that you do not have a licence.

There is no way for them to know where you actually were when you tried to log in anyway, since your email is not tied to a specific IP, and since they have no way of associating IP's to specific individuals, they wouldn't know who you were even if they were monitoring it.

In short, no, absolutely nothing will happen, and you have absolutely nothing to worry about.

It’s very unlikely, did you ever get contacted there from Captia (Licensing) when you lived there permanently? if any letters do come they are addressed to Legal Occupier anyway, just fishing expeditions. But don’t watch ‘Live’ television or use iPlayer without paying the licence fee again. If you use iPlayer then you should pay. It is perfectly legitimate to not pay the licence fee but you must do neither of those things.
If a letter does come ignore it, and don’t talk to any Capita enforcement officers

@orangemum92
I have sent you private message

According to their website, as long as the device wasn't plugged into the mains, your home licence will cover you:

"Your home TV Licence will usually cover you to watch live on any channel, TV service or streaming service, and to use BBC iPlayer* on any device away from home.
However, if you’re away from home and plug one of these devices into the mains and use it to watch live on any channel, TV service or streaming service, or to use BBC iPlayer*, you need to be covered by a separate TV Licence at that address (unless you’re in a vehicle or vessel like a train, car or boat)"

I don't think there's any way they could know whether your device was plugged into the mains at the time you watched I-player.

I'm surprised it let it continue after you clicked 'no'.