Who needs a TV licence?
College or university students living away from home must have a TV licence to watch or record television. As well as TV sets and video or DVD recorders, this includes using mobile phones, set-top boxes, laptops or personal computers to receive or record television programmes. But if you are returning home for the summer holidays and only need a licence for nine months, you may qualify for a refund on the remaining three. You can get more information from the students’ section of the TV Licensing website. Exactly what you need to do about getting a TV licence depends on where you live: Private housing You will need to buy a TV licence if you have a TV set. Shared houses If you have a shared tenancy agreement, with everyone in your house signing the same contract, you will usually need just one licence to cover all the TV sets in the house. If you have a separate tenancy agreement, with each tenant signing an individual contract with the landlord, each of you will need your own licence
