Results 1 to 10 of 10

Hybrid View

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Posts
    3

    Default Does a Landlord Have to Provide Cable, Phone and Internet Jacks

    My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: Illinois

    I recently moved into a house that I am renting in Chicago, IL, and after moving in we noticed that the cable lines coming into the house were very old/worn and the landlord has no idea what kind of connection it is. No one has lived in this house since they bought it about a year ago, so they are not sure which internet providers (if any) provide access to the house or what kind of installation/fees would be required. There are also no telephone jacks anywhere in the house.

    I can not seem to find out through Google searching whether or not the landlord is responsible for putting in a telephone jack or if the landlord is responsible for maintaining the cable lines coming in to the house.

    Just a few more details: the cable lines coming in to the house are literally coming in through the wall from outside. Upon following the wire to the source, it seems to be leading to the place where all the power/internet connections for the street are coming from (it leads in to a large electrical post with a bunch of wires going to different houses).

    I have read online that in some states, the landlord is required to provide at least one phone jack to hook up phone service and that if there is already a cable hookup in the house, that the landlord is responsible for all repairs, etc. for damages to the hookup not caused by the tenant. We tried installing cable internet with Comcast, but they could not get a signal from our modem, so they are charging $30 to send someone out and said that there might be even more costs. The landlord has told us that if we want internet, we have to pay for all costs associated with hooking that up ourselves, but this seems a little unreasonable in this day and age.

    If there is damage to the line that runs from outside straight through to the wall in the living room, would the landlord have to pay for the repairs/installation that might be required for damage to the wire outside or inside of the house? I figure either the wiring is damaged and needs to be replaced, or the house is not hooked up for cable internet at all and the wire is for something else. I know that the house was previously hooked up for Dish network satellite, and there is a splitter outside with one end leading to the old dish that is still on the roof.

    So I would just like to know what you guys would suggest doing to get some sort of internet access to the house and whether or not I can make my landlord pay for any damages/install fees that need to be taken care of. I would also like to find out the same for the landline phone jack access.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    OH10
    Posts
    17,019

    Default Re: Chicago Landlord Required to Provide Phone Line/Internet Jack

    Cable is a luxury, not a necessity. You pay for those. Just think of all the people in the world who live without it.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Posts
    1,026

    Default Re: Does a Landlord Have to Provide Cable, Phone and Internet Jacks

    This gives a pretty thorough explanation of what a landlord must provide in Chicago and neither phone jacks nor internet lines are included on the list:

    http://www.tenants-rights.org/reside...ant-ordinance/

    A landlord is responsible for issues that affect a tenants health and safety; things like a safe electrical system, adequate plumbing, an adequate source of heat (and, in some states, air conditioning). Having access to the internet doesn't fall into this category and frankly, all my tenants are responsible for installation fees should they wish to have internet service. About the only thing I've had to do is give permission as a landlord if the cable company has had to drill into walls or floors to install wiring in my houses.

    Gail

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Behind a Desk
    Posts
    98,846

    Default Re: Does a Landlord Have to Provide Cable, Phone and Internet Jacks

    Unless your landlord is providing you Internet or cable television service under your lease, obtaining those services is your responsibility.

    A coaxial cable pulled through a wall is pretty easy to troubleshoot. If the problem is on the outside of the wall, as is almost certainly the case, that's Comcast's problem to fix - and if you already had cable service they would investigate and repair an outside problem as part of the service you've paid for. What you appear to be stating is that Comcast won't charge you a fee if you can handle your own hookup, but will charge a fee to come out and perform a hookup if you cannot manage that task yourself even if the problem lies with old wiring outside of the house.

    A landlord is responsible for inside wiring, save for damage caused to that inside wiring by the tenant in residence. You do not appear to have any inside wiring.

    If you desire traditional phone service, the company you hire to provide that service will install a jack. You would want to discuss the placement of the jack with your landlord before authorizing modification of his property. But as it does not appear that you actually want traditional phone service, that issue appears to be moot.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Posts
    3

    Default Re: Does a Landlord Have to Provide Cable, Phone and Internet Jacks

    Quote Quoting Mr. Knowitall
    View Post
    Unless your landlord is providing you Internet or cable television service under your lease, obtaining those services is your responsibility.

    A coaxial cable pulled through a wall is pretty easy to troubleshoot. If the problem is on the outside of the wall, as is almost certainly the case, that's Comcast's problem to fix - and if you already had cable service they would investigate and repair an outside problem as part of the service you've paid for. What you appear to be stating is that Comcast won't charge you a fee if you can handle your own hookup, but will charge a fee to come out and perform a hookup if you cannot manage that task yourself even if the problem lies with old wiring outside of the house.

    A landlord is responsible for inside wiring, save for damage caused to that inside wiring by the tenant in residence. You do not appear to have any inside wiring.

    If you desire traditional phone service, the company you hire to provide that service will install a jack. You would want to discuss the placement of the jack with your landlord before authorizing modification of his property. But as it does not appear that you actually want traditional phone service, that issue appears to be moot.
    "For purposes of this section, material noncompliance with Section 5-12-070 shall include, but is not limited to, any of the following circumstances:...failure to maintain and repair any equipment which the landlord supplies or is required to supply..."

    Would the cable wire sticking out of the wall constitute "equipment which the landlord supplies?"

    And if I understand you correctly, Comcast will take care of any problems with the hookup that lie outside the walls of the house? It's not the $30 dollar fee to have them come out and try to get the service running that I'm worried about; I'm worried about Comcast coming out and telling me that they need $100-200 in order to fix the wiring outside leading to the house that seems to be damaged. Do you know what I mean?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Behind a Desk
    Posts
    98,846

    Default Re: Does a Landlord Have to Provide Cable, Phone and Internet Jacks

    As you were already told, unless the landlord has contractually agreed to provide cable service that's your responsibility.

    As for what Comcast will do, ask Comcast. I expect that if the problem is the wire, they'll string a new wire. Connecting your house to cable is part of hookup, so that should all be covered by your hookup fee.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Posts
    3

    Default Re: Does a Landlord Have to Provide Cable, Phone and Internet Jacks

    Quote Quoting gail in georgia
    View Post
    This gives a pretty thorough explanation of what a landlord must provide in Chicago and neither phone jacks nor internet lines are included on the list:

    http://www.tenants-rights.org/reside...ant-ordinance/

    A landlord is responsible for issues that affect a tenants health and safety; things like a safe electrical system, adequate plumbing, an adequate source of heat (and, in some states, air conditioning). Having access to the internet doesn't fall into this category and frankly, all my tenants are responsible for installation fees should they wish to have internet service. About the only thing I've had to do is give permission as a landlord if the cable company has had to drill into walls or floors to install wiring in my houses.

    Gail
    Ok thanks for your reply. Personally if I owned a property to rent, I feel like it is pretty important to at least know what the situation is like for getting internet access to the house. Who in this day and age builds a house and just doesn't hook it up with the cable servicing the entire neighborhood because internet is some sort of a luxury or something? I feel like they should have told me that the house was not properly hooked up to activate internet service beforehand, as I had mentioned to them that I am a student.

    If this were 20 years ago, you could argue that having access to a phone line inside the house is a necessity because it is a matter of safety, and also, because you really couldn't do much without a home phone number back then. In this day and age, my view is that the same should be true of internet. It makes no sense to me to make a tenant pay to hook up someone else's house with an internet connection.

    If I do end up having to pay for a connection, am I entitled to rip out everything that I paid to have installed when I move out?

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Quoting Mr. Knowitall
    View Post
    As you were already told, unless the landlord has contractually agreed to provide cable service that's your responsibility.

    As for what Comcast will do, ask Comcast. I expect that if the problem is the wire, they'll string a new wire. Connecting your house to cable is part of hookup, so that should all be covered by your hookup fee.
    Okay thanks for the information.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Behind a Desk
    Posts
    98,846

    Default Re: Does a Landlord Have to Provide Cable, Phone and Internet Jacks

    Why do you believe that the landlord was able to simply look at the coaxial hookup and know that it was no longer functioning, when you could not?

    1. Sponsored Links
       

Similar Threads

  1. Rent and Utilities: Landlord Forces Tenants to Use One Cable Provider
    By wrobs818 in forum Landlord-Tenant Law
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 06-22-2012, 08:13 PM
  2. Defenses to Eviction: Landlord Wouldn't Provide a Written Lease
    By truthseeker99 in forum Landlord-Tenant Law
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 06-18-2012, 11:34 AM
  3. Cable/Internet Use of Utility Easement
    By stew_bnixa in forum Real Estate Ownership and Title
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 09-27-2010, 07:51 PM
  4. Repair and Maintenance: Landlord's Obligation To Provide Mailbox
    By geosky in forum Landlord-Tenant Law
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 04-03-2008, 07:08 PM
  5. Unemployment Benefits: Termination for Internet and Phone use in Nevada
    By LV615 in forum Employment and Labor
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 04-05-2007, 01:06 AM
 
 
Sponsored Links

Legal Help, Information and Resources