Guides / Away from home
Do you need a TV licence on a boat, in a caravan or a holiday home?
November 2026. Desk research from the sources listed below.
Your home TV licence covers you on a boat, in a touring or static caravan, a mobile home or a vehicle, unless someone is watching live TV at your licensed home at the same time. A second house or cottage usually needs its own licence.
Boats, caravans and mobile homes
TV Licensing groups boats, touring caravans, vehicles, static caravans, mobile homes and moveable chalets together as other accommodation. If you're licensed at your main home, that licence covers you there too, as long as nobody is watching or recording live TV, or using BBC iPlayer, back at home at the same time.
If someone is, you need to complete a declaration with TV Licensing. If the boat or caravan is where you live, rather than somewhere you visit, it needs a licence of its own.
Holiday homes and second houses
A second house, flat or cottage normally needs its own licence to watch live TV or use iPlayer there. The exception is if you only ever watch on devices running on their own internal batteries, such as a phone or tablet that isn't plugged in.
What you need a licence for at all
- Watching or recording programmes as they're shown live, on any channel or service.
- Watching or downloading anything on BBC iPlayer.
- Not needed for on-demand only, such as Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video or catch-up on ITVX or Channel 4.
The fee and concessions are in our TV licence 2026 guide. For watching on the water or abroad, see watching UK TV away from home. Check your own situation with TV Licensing.
Sources: TV Licensing FAQ: second homes and other accommodation (checked November 2026); GOV.UK: TV licence.