TV & Internet Installation Woes

[Jeremy Roberts]

Back in August I purchased my first rental property, a four unit brick structure. Things have been going pretty good except one thing. TV and internet installation into the home. There are cables running everywhere on the outside of the structure and I will follow some and then they are just cut off, so those just need to be removed not a big deal.

My real problem here recently is one tenant had Direct TV and HughesNet come out and install cable and internet. Direct TV isn't to bad they just put the dish on the ground and there is a cable running along the grass (probably couldn't bury the cable as the ground was frozen. HughesNet on the other hand drilled two holes going into the unit and just left a real unsightly holes on the outside of the building and on the inside.

HELP!!! Is there a good solution to getting these companies to use the same holes going in and out of the building? Anything I can't have a new hole drilled into the building everytime a new tenant moves in? A side not I should say that the unit is located about 4 miles north of town out in the country so about the only companies that do any kind of installation are the ones with satellite dishes.

[RJ Reynolds]

Every rental contract I've ever seen includes contingencies for installation of things like this that make it a requirement that the landlord approve and/or be present.  While the tenant is responsible (in my NON legal opinion), the company is also responsible as they should never modify a property in any way without the OWNERS approval in writing.

Just my 2 cents....