Remember your licences

With a new year starting, it is important to remember to check that all your licences are in order to avoid potentially expensive consequences.

The most conspicuous of these is probably the TV Licence. A hotelier was fined £690 last year for not having a television licence, and over a thousand businesses were caught without a valid TV Licence – the penalty for which is a fine of up to £1,000 plus costs – in the UK in 2010.

The good news for guesthouses and bed & breakfasts of up to 15 rooms is that they only need one licence – priced at £145.50 – which will cover all television sets at the property. There is an added fee for every five additional units over 15.

A TV Licence for accommodation providers can be bought online through a form or by calling 0300 790 6124.

Don’t forget that if you have TVs in guest bedrooms and/or play a radio or any recorded music in your dining room or restaurant, an annual PRS licence is required. However, following VisitEngland’s lengthy discussions with PRS for Music, they announced in October 2010 a change in their policy whereby unlicensed small B&Bs and guesthouses with three rooms or less do not require a licence at all. The same applies to owners of a single self-catering property with three guest bedrooms or less. For others, the price of a licence starts from £45 plus VAT.