TV & radio

If you live in a house or a “cottage flat” you are responsible for your own TV aerial.

You do not need our permission for an ordinary TV aerial or to connect to cable TV. However, you must have our permission before you put up a satellite dish.

In most flats, but not “cottage flats”, we provide a communal TV aerial for everyone to connect into.

In many flats we also provide a connection into (but do not pay for) cable TV. We do not do this for "cottage flats" or for homes in the historic area of the city.

In tower blocks we provide a connection, with a socket, for cable TV. To get TV you will need to contact a cable company. You are responsible for paying the fees and subscriptions for cable services

---

Satellite dishes, C.B. and amateur radio aerials

Please contact your housing office before you get a dish or one of these aerials.

You must have our written permission before you install one. We need to check where, and on what, you will be fixing it.

Email: permission.requests@southampton.gov.uk

If you live in a tower block you must not have an outside dish or aerial due to the height of these blocks and the design of their outer walls. You will not be able to install an outside dish or radio aerial above the third storey at any block of flats.

You must also have public liability insurance with at least £2 million cover (as of April 2004). Normally public liability cover is included in a standard contents insurance policy but you need to check this to make sure you have £2 million of public liability cover.

You may need planning permission for a dish and you will almost certainly need it for a radio aerial. Radio operators must also have a licence and broadcast only as the law allows. You will need to provide your housing office with proof of these.