Earlier this year, a News OnTheWight reader who runs a couple of self-catering holiday lets got in touch about what they thought might be a scam.
They told us they had received “aggressive phone calls” to say, as self-catering providers, they should pay for a Performing Rights Society (PRS) licence to cover their visitors playing music in the accommodation.
They asked News OnTheWight to confirm whether such a licence was required for self catering accommodation and if it was a scam to make others aware.
Not a scam
We started researching the issue and spent quite a bit of time talking to those responsible for PRS licences. It’s taken three months.
The upshot is that the call was not a scam and that in some circumstances owners of holiday lets do need to purchase a yearly PRS licence in case their visitors play music when at the property.
A spokesperson for PPL PRS (the body that now collects music licenses) told News OnTheWight it wasn’t a new initiative. However, a senior person at Visit Isle of Wight, the organisation that oversees the holiday operators on the Island, said
“I have never ever heard of this.”
When a licence is required
PPL PRS provides TheMusicLicence for holiday properties and B&Bs on behalf of PRS for Music. The Licence will cover the public performance of music played via radio or TV within bedrooms or other areas of the premises as appropriate.
You might think that a TV licence would cover you, but PPL PRS said this only allows a business to receive the broadcast signal for the television.
Complex set of rules
The rules, however, are not straightforward, so we put some scenarios together and in response the PPL PRS laid out the detail of whether they would be required to have a licence.
A self-catered house/cottage on a public street
A) TheMusicLicence would not be required if the premises has less than 3 bedrooms, is the sole holiday accommodation business, the facilities are available to the guests only and the premises remains the domestic residents of the proprietors.B) A Music licence would be required if the proprietor owns more than one premises made available as a holiday accommodation or B&B, irrespective of bedroom quantity.
NB: If the accommodation is not where the owner lives domestically and it is used purely for holiday letting, they would need a music licence.
Whole property rented by a single family
TheMusicLicence may be required based on the principles set out in examples A or B
Property rented by a collection of friends
TheMusicLicence may be required based on the principles set out in examples A or B.
B&B in a person’s house – a room or two rented perhaps separate couples
The MusicLicence will not be required if the B&B is a sole holiday accommodation business, the facilities are available to the guests only and the premises remains the domestic residents of the proprietors.A licence will be required for 4 bedrooms or greater.
A single self-catering cottage on private land
The MusicLicence will not be required if a cottage on private land is a sole holiday accommodation business, the facilities are available to the guests only and the premises remains the domestic residents of the proprietors.A license would be required for 4 bedrooms or more where the proprietor owns more than one premises.
A farmer operating two or more separate self-catering cottages on private land with no shared space
A Music License would be required for 4 bedrooms or more where the proprietor owns more than one premises
Find out more
Self-catering business owner are recommended to contact PPL PRS for advice on your music usage requirements.
PPL PRS told News OnTheWight that, “Providing the correct information about your premises will allow them to advise on the necessity for acquiring TheMusicLicence.”
Image: Will Francis under CC BY 2.0
