BT FTTP install without landlord's consent?

I ordered BT FTTP last week on a 9-month student contract as I will only be in the property for 10 months, so this saves me money over a 12-month contract. I booked the install for this coming Monday and am moving in this Friday. Additionally, I am getting £100 cashback from TCB and this has already shown as pending in my cashback account.

A few days ago, I got a call from my landlord reminding me to call virgin media to book broadband. I told him that I was looking at BT instead (not letting on that I had already ordered it) and he said that their properties were all virgin media and that there were no BT lines. I pointed out to him that there was a BT socket on the wall, and he realised there was. However, he has told me that it is not possible to bring in a new line for fibre as "they don't do drilling" (they being the property management company) and so I would have to use the existing copper line. No thanks...

I'd rather not go with virgin media as I have had problems with their service in the last year and was looking forward to getting rid of them in this house. Additionally, virgin media works out quite a bit more expensive for the same download speed. Not to mention that virgin's upload speed and router are rubbish.

All Openreach would do is put a small box outside and run a wire to a tiny box on the wall inside. I honestly doubt the landlord would even notice this at the end of the tenancy and I could even get Openreach to put the inside box (ONT) behind a desk to further hide it.

Obviously, I shouldn't do this as I have been as good as told not to, but what are the chances the landlord will actually notice it once it's done at the end of the tenancy, and what would be the repercussions if they did? Surely they can't justify much of a charge on my deposit for pulling out a cable and filling a couple of holes if they wanted it gone?

Two things.

Firstly its not your house to mess up, its your landlords and you signed a document to that effect ..

Secondly the only way out of this would be if the the fibre and copper cable can come thru and existing outside to inside hole.

Otherwise you are looking at your deposit being not returned ..

Was it a call from your actual landlord, or the letting management company they appointed?

How did they know anyway?

Obviously, you're right about it not being my house, I just question whether the landlord would actually care/notice such a small change to the property in practice. I certainly wouldn't care, but then I'm obviously more receptive to technology and wiring changes than most landlords!

On the second point, is it likely that Openreach would be able to pull out the existing copper cable and feed the new fibre line through the existing hole? I got the impression from the landlord that this would be acceptable. If not, I think I'm just going to have to be stuck paying for virgin 2 months after I leave.

to be honest, it will benefit them when you leave and others have the choice, but as said it's not your house, so I'd be careful

Edited by BuckleZ (Mon 16-Aug-21 15:34:54)

In reply to a post by pluralist:

Was it a call from your actual landlord, or the letting management company they appointed?

How did they know anyway?

I'm not actually entirely sure, they always seem to be a bit vague about this kind of distinction. I believe I was technically speaking to an employee from the management company who owns the property. He said he worked for his parent's company.

He didn't know I hadn't sorted anything per-say, he just phoned with the guise of a friendly reminder, but was probably mainly to give me his virgin media referral link!

There is always the option of getting him to ask someone higher up, ie. his parents, but I doubt this would do me any favours...

In reply to a post by Harry9s:

He didn't know I hadn't sorted anything per-say, he just phoned with the guise of a friendly reminder, but was probably mainly to give me his virgin media referral link!

I smell a rat .... If "his" really means his. Not theirs.

Did he know you were even thinking about BT? Or did he ask what you were doing about broadband? Are you sure he is actually anything to do with the letting, and not just a scammer? Did he know your name?

Assuming you are not the first tenant, is there an existing VM box outside?

Who did you sign up with? They are the people to ask, direct.

Edited by pluralist (Mon 16-Aug-21 15:55:22)

He had no idea I was thinking of going with BT, he hadn't asked me about it at all until then. It seems like almost everyone in the area uses virgin as the average student doesn't know BT even does FTTP, let alone that they do 9 and 12-month contracts for it.

The guy who called me was the person who showed me around the property originally, so it's not a scam or anything, he probably just fancies the £50 bill credit from me signing up using his/their code.

That said, he was perfectly happy for me to go with BT if it was using the existing copper line, just not to drill for a new fibre line. Shame BT doesn't do G-Fast anymore, that would have been suitable.

Personally from what you have said I would do a quick land registry check and find out who actually owns the property and try to contact them directly and explain. What you got to lose?

Would the landlord notice?
Well if it was me I would notice as there would be a new grey box on the outside wall, and if it's anything like as obvious as on my house it would be seen when approaching the property from the drive, in fact I was pondering whether to spray it black so it blends in. If on the otherhand your landlord doesn't personally inspect the property they might not have the slightest idea, on the last but one change of tenant we had, I took the agent to hand over the poor end of tenancy inspection.