Broadband for landlords: what to install in an HMO or multi-let

Landlords have no legal obligation to provide broadband in a rented property. In a single-let it is usually the tenant's arrangement and the landlord's only involvement is granting access for installation. In an HMO or multi-let it is different: shared houses are commonly let on a bills-inclusive basis, tenants change at different times, and five separate contracts in one building creates problems that one managed connection solves. The question for most landlords is therefore not whether broadband is required, but whether providing it is worth the cost.

Do landlords have to provide broadband?

No. There is no statutory duty to supply an internet connection, and broadband is not part of the fitness for human habitation standard or the Decent Homes Standard.

There is a related obligation that catches landlords out, and it concerns access rather than supply. Under Part 4A of the Electronic Communications Code, inserted by the Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Act 2021, an operator can apply to court for interim access rights to a multi-dwelling building where a tenant has requested a connection and the landlord has repeatedly failed to respond.

The process requires the operator to serve a request notice, then two warning notices, then a final notice. What matters for landlords is how easily it stops: responding to any one of them ends it. Agreeing, refusing in writing, or simply acknowledging the request in writing all take you out of the expedited route. Only silence carries it forward. Government's own review found landlords fail to respond in up to 40% of cases, which is why the mechanism exists.

Treat an operator's letter about a tenant's connection request as something to answer, not something to file.

Wayleaves, and what you are signing

Where an operator needs to run cable across or through property you own to reach a building, they will ask for a wayleave: an agreement granting access rights, usually in exchange for a payment.

Two things are worth knowing before signing. The agreement typically binds successors in title, so it follows the property when you sell. And the terms vary considerably between operators, particularly on duration, reinstatement after works, and whether the operator can upgrade or add equipment later without returning for consent.

For a single HMO this is rarely contentious. For a block, or where you own the freehold and land around it, it is worth a solicitor reading it. The payments offered are usually modest relative to the length of the commitment.

The three ways to provide it

A standard consumer contract in the landlord's name. Cheapest, and adequate for a small HMO with stable tenants. The drawbacks are real: consumer contracts run 18 to 24 months, you carry the liability for what tenants do on the connection, and you are the person the provider calls when it fails.

A specialist managed landlord provider. Firms in this category install and manage the connection, deal with tenants directly for support, and bill the landlord on terms designed around tenancies rather than consumer contracts. You pay a premium for not being the IT department.

A building-wide installation. For blocks, purpose-built shared housing and larger HMOs, a full-fibre provider installs infrastructure to the building and connects units individually. Highest upfront involvement, lowest ongoing friction.

Who to consider

Hyperoptic built its business on full-fibre to apartment blocks and multi-dwelling buildings, and has the deepest experience of the building-wide model. Where it has a presence, speeds and reliability are strong. The constraint is coverage: it is concentrated in cities and specific developments, so the first question is whether the building is in footprint at all.

Community Fibre covers London extensively and is usually the most competitive on price where available. It publishes landlord-facing material and has a straightforward process for building access. The limitation is geographic: outside London it is not an option.

Glide is built around shared housing rather than adapted to it. Student accommodation and HMOs are the core market, which shows in the details that matter: contracts aligned to academic or tenancy years, per-room billing where wanted, and support that expects to speak to tenants rather than the account holder. For a student HMO it is often the least troublesome choice.

Specialist landlord providers, including Landlord Broadband, occupy the managed middle ground. They handle installation, tenant support and changeover between tenancies, which is the recurring cost most landlords underestimate. Worth quoting against Glide if the property is a professional rather than student HMO.

Availability decides more than preference here. Check what serves the postcode before shortlisting, because in much of the country the realistic choice is a specialist managed provider or a consumer contract, and the full-fibre options are simply absent.

What it costs and who pays

Where rent is advertised as bills inclusive, broadband is usually part of the package, and the cost sits with the landlord. That is the common arrangement in HMOs because it removes the problem of who sets up the account and who chases the bill when a tenant leaves mid-contract.

Bills-inclusive rent changes the yield arithmetic, so model it before setting the rent. A connection costing £40 a month across a five-bed HMO is £8 per room per month, which is easy to absorb, but only if the rent was set knowing it.

The same logic applies to other utilities a landlord carries between tenancies, and the two decisions are usually taken together.

Whichever route you choose, track what each property actually costs to run, because bills-inclusive lettings are where portfolio margins quietly erode.

Getting the tax treatment right

Broadband paid by the landlord is an allowable expense against rental income, deductible in the year incurred.

The corresponding point is that bills-inclusive rent is taxable in full. A landlord charging £600 a month inclusive is declaring £600, not £560, and deducting the broadband separately. The net position is the same, but recording it as reduced rent rather than as rent plus expense produces a return that does not reconcile.

Installation costs need care. A connection charge is generally revenue and deductible. Infrastructure that improves the building may be capital, and the distinction matters enough to ask an accountant on anything substantial. Keeping bills against the property they belong to as the year runs makes that conversation short.

The verdict

For a student HMO, Glide is usually the least troublesome, because the contract structure and tenant support match how the property actually operates.

For a professional HMO or small multi-let, a specialist managed landlord provider earns its premium by absorbing tenant support and changeover, which is the cost landlords consistently underestimate.

For a block or purpose-built shared housing inside their footprint, Hyperoptic and Community Fibre are the stronger long-term choices, with Community Fibre generally cheaper in London.

For a single let, provide nothing. Let the tenant arrange it, answer operator access requests promptly, and keep the liability with the person using the connection.

Frequently asked questions

Do landlords have to provide broadband? 

No. There is no legal requirement to supply an internet connection in a rented property. Landlords do need to respond to operator requests for access where a tenant has requested a connection, because ignoring them can lead to a court-imposed access agreement.

Can a tenant install broadband without the landlord's permission? 

Not where installation requires works to the building. A tenant can arrange a service that uses existing infrastructure, but new cabling or equipment needs consent. Refusing unreasonably is a poor position to take, given the operator's route to court where a landlord is unresponsive.

Is landlord-paid broadband tax deductible? 

Yes, as an allowable expense against rental income. Bills-inclusive rent must be declared gross, with the broadband deducted separately.

Who is liable for what tenants do online? 

The account holder. Where the contract is in the landlord's name, the landlord is the registered subscriber, which is one reason specialist providers who contract with tenants directly appeal to some landlords. If you want the record straight on what each property costs and earns, August is free to start for free.