Is it legal to limit a tenants’ option to cable by refusing to allow satellite installation?
asked:
We recently rented an apartment in town to stay at a few days a week. Cable was already installed in this 50+-year-old building when we moved in. We would prefer not to deal with the cable company, as their customer service is terrible and we can get a better package from the satellite provider. However, the bldg management won’t allow us to install a dish on the building. We can see why they’d have this rule, but is it legal for them to limit our choices in this way? We are in Ontario Canada. We have read that, in the US, they cannot ban satellite dish installations by law.
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We recently rented an apartment in town to stay at a few days a week. Cable was already installed in this 50+-year-old building when we moved in. We would prefer not to deal with the cable company, as their customer service is terrible and we can get a better package from the satellite provider. However, the bldg management won’t allow us to install a dish on the building. We can see why they’d have this rule, but is it legal for them to limit our choices in this way? We are in Ontario Canada. We have read that, in the US, they cannot ban satellite dish installations by law.
July 6th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
You heard wrong about the U.S. But don’t give our democratic lead Congress any ideas. I can see it now: “The Freedom to Satillite Reception Act of 2007″. grips
July 6th, 2010 at 2:08 pm
Ever hear of personal property rights. If you want a dish - buy a house! Paula Revere
July 9th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
I don’t believe that US law is correct. If you are renting in the US, a landlord can deny a tenant the right to paint or physically change their rented space, so it follows they could block their tenant from physically installing a satellite dish on the landlord’s property.
My parents live in a condo building that has an association; cable is included in the association dues. A tenant decided to install a satellite dish and was ordered by the association to remove it because there were association rules against making physically changes to the outside of the building. My husband and I lived in a townhome previously and were told a satellite dish had to be approved by the association.
So, in the US, a landlord can legally forbid you to put up a satellite dish. Teeby
July 11th, 2010 at 8:19 am
Since you are only renters, you have to abide by the rules set forth by the owners. If they do not want a bunch of little satellite dishes stuck all over their building, there’s not much you can do.
Perhaps you can work a deal with them if there is some place the dish could be installed where it is not visible to other tenants or from the outside of the building. Joe B.
July 11th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
There’s probably a renter’s advocacy group of some kind in Ontario, Canada. I’d contact them - a renter’s rights attorney should be able to answer this question for you, I’m sure you can find a hotline in the phone book.
As an owner of rental property in the state of CA, I know my tenants have the right to satellite and I can’t stop them. But it may be different where you are.
Also, MAYBE the landlord can specify this in your lease/rental agreement - I say maybe since it’s Canada. abundantsunshine949
July 13th, 2010 at 4:25 am
It might be different if it’s an apartment, but if your renting space in someone’s house you can’t just drill into their house to put up a satiate dish if they’re not down with that. I’ve seen people in your situation stick a pole in a bucked filled with concrete and put the dish on that. The Skull Collector
July 14th, 2010 at 10:36 am
Satellite dishes impede upon the permanent structure. IE you will have to mouth them on the building itself, so yes many landlords do say no. Also Satellite dishes are an eyesore and often mounted outside the rented space, which is technically, not your allotted space so the landlord is within their rights.
The landlord is not saying you cannot get satellite, he is saying you cannot mount a dish on my building, which as a property owned he is well within his rights to dictate which fixture he wants added or removed from his property.
There are several different option in Ontario now, other than the whole Bell/Rogers choice. You can get certain services streamed though DSL if you have copper wire (Cogeco)
T smedrik
July 15th, 2010 at 7:16 am
what the US federal laws says in general a landlord can not prohibit the instillation of a dish, but the landlord does not have to allow the dish to be installed in a common area, or anywhere upon the property that would cause damage IE the roof, etc
usually leaves the only option is a pole in the Yard and not in any way attached to the building unless the tenant has complete control , like a porch
the dish web site has the federal law goz1111
July 15th, 2010 at 10:23 pm
Should it be legal for someone to rent a car from Avis and then go have a sunroof installed? Have the car painted to a color you like better? If you owned a home you rented out would you want the renters to install a sky light without asking? AlaskaMusher
July 18th, 2010 at 9:05 pm
Understand they don’t care if you watch satellite tv. If you had a portable dish on a tripod, like travellers use, nobody would complain. However, they have every right to insist you not make any changes to the exterior of the building, and that includes attaching a dish, or a flagpole, or a clothesline to it. After all, it is their building, and after you leave, any holes you have put in the building are still there. Fred C
July 19th, 2010 at 11:17 am
While you are renting an apartment, the landlord owns the building. He or she cannot prevent you from mounting a dish inside your apartment, facing out a window, but you have no right to mount any object to the exterior of the building. John O
July 20th, 2010 at 4:13 am
Sure it is. The building is privately owned, and they can do what they want as far as reasonable restrictions on occupants. Molly