By the Unity Stays directors, Marcus Chong & Gadir Al-Khatib · Last updated 12 August 2026
In short: Most short lets need a TV licence, held by the owner rather than the guest, because one is required to watch live broadcast television on any channel or device and to use BBC iPlayer at all. A streaming stick does not avoid it — many streaming services carry live channels, so a smart television with apps is very likely within scope.
The rule is about use, not the set
A licence is required to watch or record live television as it is being broadcast, on any channel and any device, and to use BBC iPlayer at all.
That means the question is not "is there a television". A property with a television used only for streaming on-demand services other than iPlayer sits differently from one where a guest can watch live broadcast channels.
In practice, most short lets provide a television connected to an aerial or to services that carry live channels — which brings the requirement squarely into play.
Who is responsible
Under our agreements the television licence is the owner's responsibility, alongside utilities, council tax and broadband. That is the normal position across the industry for whole-property short lets.
It is not something to leave to the guest. A guest on a three-night stay is not going to buy a licence, and the enquiry will come to the property owner rather than to them.
For a property let as a whole and provided furnished with a television, the sensible assumption is that a licence is needed and the owner holds it.
Streaming does not simply avoid it
There is a persistent belief that removing the aerial and providing a streaming stick solves this. It is only partly right.
Many streaming services now carry live channels, and watching any live broadcast channel through them requires a licence exactly as an aerial would. And BBC iPlayer requires a licence for on-demand content, not only live.
So a property offering a smart television with apps installed is very likely to be within scope, because a guest can reach live channels or iPlayer within a few taps whether or not you intended it.
The practical position
For most short lets the answer is straightforward: hold a licence for the property and stop thinking about it. It is a modest annual cost against the risk and the administrative irritation of the alternative.
If you genuinely intend to provide no live television and no iPlayer, that has to be real rather than nominal — and it is worth being clear with guests, because a television that cannot show live channels is a legitimate complaint if it was not disclosed.
For anything unusual, TV Licensing publishes guidance for holiday and rented accommodation and will answer a specific question. That is the source worth using rather than a general summary, including this one.
A plain summary, not legal advice. The rules turn on specific use and change. Confirm the current position with TV Licensing for your circumstances.