DIRECTV In Your Condo or Apartment

Many cable TV customers have been asking recently, can I get DIRECTV at my apartment? The answer to that may require a little investigation, but in many cases the answer is yes.

For many years, those living in apartments, condominiums, and townhomes had to settle for their cable TV provider, whether it is Comcast, Time Warner, or whatever other cable television company served their particular area. Some with private decks and balconies have been able to put a satellite dish out there and then hook up DIRECTV service. Recent rulings by the FCC have changed the game in favor of satellite TV companies like DIRECTV and DISH Network.

If you live in an apartment or condo complex, and you just can’t stand the thought of missing out on the NFL Sunday Ticket package this year, the first thing to do is check with your landlord or management company and ask about DIRECTV. Many properties have been pre-wired to share a single dish system already. These situations are usually found in larger, multi-story apartments and condominium complexes. In these cases, either one or more DIRECTV satellites dish systems have already been installed on the roof, and then signals are sent to a central location inside the building.

Now if your landlord does not have a shared system, you can inquire if you can have your DIRECTV dish mounted either on the roof if it’s close to your apartment, or on the building itself if there is space available. This is where things sometimes get sticky. Landlords usually don’t like seeing a satellite dish stuck to the side of their building. If they refuse, you still have one option. If you have a deck or small patio that faces south, you can have the dish mounted on the railing out there.

The consideration here is whether that area is a private deck or balcony. As long as it is not shared, you can usually do whatever you want with that space. Another easy way to check things out is to simply walk around your apartment or condo complex and look at your neighbors deck areas. If you see several satellites systems set up, there is nothing preventing you from setting up your own DIRECTV dish for your apartment.

To avoid delays with getting your system installed, the technician may require you to provide an installation permission form, which basically says your landlord, homeowners association (HOA) or apartment manager is OK with the satellite dish installation.

If you run into a situation where those in charge give you a hard time regarding a DIRECTV satellite dish installation, check the FCC website, as there are now rules that do not allow unreasonable restrictions against satellite TV.