TV Licensing Reminds UK Hotels and Guest Houses to Get Covered Before the First Major Holiday Break of the Year

LONDON, February 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

With the upcoming school half-term holidays and Valentine's Day providing Brits with the first big opportunity of the year to 'get away from it all', TV Licensing and the British Hospitality Association are urging hotels and guest houses across the UK to make sure they are correctly licensed.

As with other businesses, all hotels and guest houses where customers or staff are watching or recording TV programmes as they are broadcast, must be covered by a valid TV Licence.

The good news for managers and owners is that a single licence covers the first 15 rooms on any one site. For the vast majority this means they only need to pay £145.50 for a year, the same amount as a private house. For those hotels and guesthouses that have more than 15 accommodation units, there is an additional fee for every five extra units.

TV Licensing enquiry officers will be out visiting unlicensed premises throughout February, and anyone found watching TV illegally risks a court prosecution and fine of up to £1,000 per offence, plus costs. Officers use a database of almost 30 million UK addresses to identify premises where they suspect people are using TV illegally. During the past two years TV Licensing caught more than 2,700 businesses not covered by a valid licence.  

Martin Couchman, deputy chief executive of the British Hospitality Association, said:

"With families making the most of the half term holiday, and couples booking romantic weekend breaks away, February is a busy time for hotel and guest house owners. That's why it is really important to get organised as soon as possible, and make sure you are correctly licensed, rather than risk a fine of up to £1,000. We know that most people want to stay within the law, and it is important to ensure you are covered for the coming weeks and months ahead."  

Pauline Gillingham, TV Licensing spokesperson, said:

"As well as the usual busy holiday periods, the London Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee celebrations are taking place this year, meaning 2012 is likely to be an especially busy year for hotels and guesthouses. By making sure they are correctly licensed now, owners and managers will give themselves piece of mind for the year ahead and avoid the risk of a visit from an enquiry officer.

"We would always rather people pay for their TV Licence than risk a prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000. Managers can get in touch with our hotels team if they have any questions by calling 0300 790 6124 or find out more at http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/hotels."

This licence covers all equipment provided by the hotel/accommodation owner. It does not cover the use of any TV set or other device which is not provided by the proprietor of the accommodation, such as a tablet or laptop, which would need to be covered by a separate TV Licence.

Notes to editors

A colour TV Licence costs £145.50 and a black and white licence is £49

If you use or install television equipment to receive or record television programmes at the same time as they are being shown on TV, you need to be covered by a valid TV Licence.  Watching TV illegally risks prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.

As with any other business, all hotels, inns or guest houses where people are watching or recording TV programmes as they are broadcast must be properly licensed. The fee for hotels and other guest accommodation is based on the number of units of overnight accommodation available to let and is calculated as follows for colour TVs:

• £145.50 for the first 15 rooms where a TV is installed
• A further £145.50 for each subsequent set of five rooms where a TV is installed

This licence covers all equipment provided by the hotel/accommodation owner. It does not cover the use of any TV set or other device which is not provided by the proprietor of the accommodation, which would need to be covered by a separate TV Licence.

When is a licence not needed?

Your hotel or guest house doesn't need a licence if the TV set is never used to receive or record television programmes, but is only used:

• For closed circuit monitoring
• For watching pre-recorded videos/DVDs

Paying for a hotel licence

Hotel/Guest House licences can only be purchased directly from TV Licensing. To apply for a TV Licence for your B&B or Guest House, please fill in the online form at http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/hotels and return it to us, together with your payment at TV Licensing, Bristol, BS1 3ZZ, or call us on 0300 790 6124.

B&B owners can also pay by BACS electronic transfer.  Please phone 0300-790-6016

for more information.

The British Hospitality Association is the leading representative organisation in the hospitality industry, representing hotels, restaurants and food service providers.  We aim to deliver real returns for our members, positively championing the industry's priorities through partnerships with government and with other associations and organisations. Its website is at: http://www.bha.org.uk/

For further information, please contact the TV Licensing press office on +44(0)207-544-3144.