TV license and refuse collection?

litirspam

Hi all,

I am a landlord with three tenants that I need to help pay the mortgage.
We share all the bills at the moment except


1) TV license.
2) Refuse collection.

Should I ask them for money for these bills too.
It was never said that they would or wouldn't have to pay these bills.
I was originally sharing these with my girlfriend but as she is not around anymore I am not sure what I should do.
All help appreciated.

FillSpectre

You aren't really a landlord if you live there IMHO. They have limited tenant rights as borders.

As a landlord you do not have to pay for either for the tenants as it is their consumption that requires payment. So under all things it appears it should be shared.

I would however be hesitant to introduce the expense with out any changes. Make sure there is a way to reduce the bin costs by doing the recycle trips and introducing a compost (if you don't have it now). People might feel more inclusive if you all try to reduce the expense.

The TV is a little more difficult as I would tend towards who ever owns the TV but ususally people have theri own one too now so if you can talk around it to them that way it might seem fair.

Just a mild side note you are pay tax on the rental income as it must be over the rent a room allowance? It seems people will report you to the tax man if the feel hard done by or even just spite so bear that in mind too.

Misty Moon

I've been renting in Dublin for 9 years now and always had to pay TV licence and bin charges (since they were introduced). TV licence is only fair if they watch the telly I think. Ditto bin charges - they help create the rubbish. I'd agree with the poster above though - get a composter if you don't already have one and recycle as much as possible so that you can cut down on charges as much as possible.

As with all situations though it also depends on what you have stated in your rental agreements (if there are any in place) and also your general relationship with your tenants. If, for example, one of them is very broke and you know that, then maybe you could take the cost this time but let them know next year they'll be expected to pay. You're the one who knows the individuals best.

Contact Threshold as well for advice and you could check www.askaboutmoney.com - there are quite a few landlords and owner-occupying landlords over there and this topic has probably been covered at some stage.

BC

I'm with Misty Moon. I've been renting in Dublin for 5 years and tv licence and bin charges are all shared out between the tenants.

Miss Fluff

Most tenants divide the cost of these. To keep the peace you might like to give them the choice of upping the rent ever so slightly on a pro rata basis so they don't feel hard done by

Idleater

litirspam wrote:

...I am a landlord with three tenants that I need to help pay the mortgage...

I would think that if you are the owner of the house, and you are living in the house, you should have a TV licence.

If you are not living in the house and the tenents are (and they are signed onto a Year long lease), they should be required to have a licence (or face the concequences themselves).

If you and the tenents are living in the house, and you both have a TV, the cost should be shared but I would put it in your name since you are the owner and would be responsible for the property having the licence.

If your landlordship is on a month to month casual basis, you could arrange a "monthly charge" which would equate to a proportion of the annual bill.

Probably similar with the bin but with more week to week (if you need tags).

L.

elvis2002

nereid wrote:

they should be required to have a licence (or face the concequences themselves).

Not if they dont have a tv.

litirspam

Thanks a lot guys for all the help.
At the moment I am thinking of only asking for money for the bins which comes up every six months.
Really don't like having to ask for more money.
If I spread the cost of bins + tv over twelve months I would only have to ask for €10 more a month.
Am I being silly not wanting to ask?

Idleater

elvis2002 wrote:

not if they dont have a TV

A TV at the address was implied in the Original Post.

If there is any device "capable of recieving TV Signals" at the address, then *someone* at that address must be in posession of a licence for that address.

I suggested that if the OP was getting a licence for themselves (which is required by law) then he could ask a contribution if the tenants were to be using that TV or their own TV.

Similar with the bins.

The "complicating" factor it seems in this case is that the Landlord and the Tenants have a casual relationship with a lot of "understanding" as to who pays what, who does what and I presume who is allowed to do what and when.

litirspam wrote:

Am I being silly not wanting to ask?

No. As the landlord (and owner of the property) it is entirely up to you how you run the show.

As the owner of the house who is using the house as their main residence, i would suggest that it is in your own interest to have a "secure" basis for the general day to day running of the place. In this regard, I would put the TV Licence, Waste Disposal and any other annual fees (that are a per address charge) in your own name.

Weekly bin tags etc can be divided out, as can a token gesture for use of the TV licence if needs be.

L.

blue banana

I'm in the same situation. I pay the flat fee for the bin charges but we divide the cost of the bin tags between my two tenants and I.

Not applicable in this situation but just a useful piece of information - Non resident landlords are not obliged to pay the flat fee for rubbish collection. It is the responsibility of the tenants.

Keith C

Maybe im wrong here, but are you not able to claim back €185 tax annually in bin tag charges for your own house from county council?? Just claim this back then split the differance (if any) equally

blue banana

185 yoyos??????

Supercell

Hmm..I'm a tenent here for about three years and happy enough with the current location.
Frankly rents for similar places in that timeframe haven't risen at all, maybe even fallen a little. If my landlord started introducing a bin or tv supplimentary charge i'd be out in a flash.
Theres LOADS of nice places to rent in Dublin at prices that have no relationship to the insane mortgages their owners seems to be prepared to pay.

To the OP, I'd check to see local rent rates before upping the rent, would raising it cover the one months lost revenue (probably) and the inevitable cleaning, repainting etc before the next tenant moved in ..you also of course don't know how reliable and sane the new tenent is going to turn out.

For an extra 10-20 euro per month ...personally think you're risking a lot.