Comments on: Is it legal to limit a tenants’ option to cable by refusing to allow satellite installation?

By: Molly

Molly — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 09:13:15 +0000

Sure it is. The building is privately owned, and they can do what they want as far as reasonable restrictions on occupants. Molly

By: John O

John O — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:17:15 +0000

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

By: Fred C

Fred C — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 02:05:08 +0000

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

By: AlaskaMusher

AlaskaMusher — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 03:23:40 +0000

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

By: goz1111

goz1111 — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:16:36 +0000

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

By: smedrik

smedrik — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:36:37 +0000

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

By: The Skull Collector

The Skull Collector — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 09:25:05 +0000

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

By: abundantsunshine949

abundantsunshine949 — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:23:56 +0000

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

By: Joe B.

Joe B. — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 13:19:50 +0000

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.

By: Teeby

Teeby — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 20:49:55 +0000

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