Check what is available at the new flat before choosing a connection; the service at your old address may not transfer. Fixed broadband makes sense when the property can be connected and the contract suits your stay. If installation is delayed or your tenancy is uncertain, consider a rolling fixed plan or a 4G/5G connection, provided its coverage and terms work at the flat.
If an engineer visit or new cable is uncertain, compare a connection already present in the flat with a plug-in mobile option. Virgin Media says a new cable installation for its service in a rented property requires landlord permission; Three and EE describe mobile broadband options that do not need a fixed-line installation.
A minimum term may outlast your stay. Compare the cancellation terms of rolling fixed broadband and shorter mobile-broadband plans before committing. Virgin Media describes a rolling fixed option, while Three offers a one-month home-broadband option.
Work calls and several connected devices make both the incoming connection and Wi-Fi inside the flat important. Ofcom advises checking availability at the property and notes that predicted service can differ from what an individual premises receives.
Use Ofcom's broadband and mobile coverage checks for the new address, then confirm the chosen provider's installation requirements or mobile coverage before deciding which commitment fits your tenancy.
Consider it when: The flat can receive the service, any required installation is permitted and the contract fits your expected stay.
Bear in mind: An engineer or new cable may be needed, and a minimum term can extend beyond your tenancy.
Consider it when: A fixed connection is available but you need more flexibility about when you leave.
Bear in mind: It still has cancellation terms. Virgin Media states that its rolling option requires 30 days' notice and has a narrower speed choice than its longer plans.
Consider it when: Fixed installation is delayed or unsuitable and the selected mobile network has usable coverage at the flat.
Bear in mind: It avoids fixed cabling, but a coverage prediction does not establish the signal inside your rooms.
Consider it when: You need a move-in connection that can also travel with you.
Bear in mind: Check the device's network compatibility, data terms and capacity if several people will share it.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Availability and permission | Check the new address with Ofcom and the provider. Ask whether the flat is connected already or needs work requiring permission. | I need to know whether fixed broadband can be installed before I arrange a plan; around 31% of consumers put availability and permission first. |
| Connection on move-in | Check the chosen network's 4G/5G coverage at the flat and whether its home hub or portable device meets your immediate needs. | When I need internet before a fixed-line appointment, avoiding an engineer is my priority. Around 31% of consumers chiefly need a connection on move-in. |
| Length of commitment | Read the minimum term, cancellation notice and equipment-return conditions before ordering. | If I may move again soon, I want terms I can manage when I leave; around 23% of consumers make tenancy flexibility their main concern. |
| Wi-Fi around the flat | Count regular devices and check coverage in the rooms where you work or make calls before considering an extender. | I expect to have a connection, but need it to work across the rooms and devices we use. For around 15% of consumers, in-flat Wi-Fi is the primary concern. |
Ofcom's availability information is location-specific; a service or predicted speed at your former home does not establish what the flat can receive.
Check the destination address with Ofcom, then confirm the service and installation requirements with the provider.
Virgin Media distinguishes a rented property already connected to its network from one needing a new cable; it says the latter requires landlord permission.
Ask the provider what work is proposed and obtain any required agreement before relying on an installation date.
Waiting for agreement can delay the connection.
Ofcom says broadband agreements commonly run for 12, 18 or 24 months. Leaving during the minimum term can have contractual consequences.
Compare the minimum term and exit conditions with your likely stay, including the notice required for a rolling option.
Ofcom cautions that predicted availability can differ at individual premises. A working incoming connection also does not establish Wi-Fi coverage throughout the flat.
Check the connection where you will use it, then consider compatible Wi-Fi equipment only if you identify an in-flat coverage problem.
Fixed broadband options whose availability and installation requirements depend on the property.
Home broadband and portable mobile-broadband options that use a mobile network rather than a fixed line.
Mobile home hubs, portable Wi-Fi devices and Wi-Fi extension equipment.
This portable 4G hotspot is an equipment option for a connection you can take between places. Before relying on it at the new flat, check the intended mobile network's coverage, the device's SIM compatibility and the data plan you would use.
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A portable hotspot to consider when you need mobile Wi-Fi during a move or away from the flat.
Connection type: 4G LTE. Wireless designation: AX300 Wi-Fi 6.
Confirm UK network and SIM compatibility, coverage at the address and suitable data-plan terms before ordering.
Yes. Check the new address rather than relying on service at your old one. Ofcom's checker provides location-based availability and predictions; confirm the options with the relevant providers too.
Check what work the provider needs to do before assuming it can proceed. Virgin Media says a new cable installation for its service in a rented property requires landlord permission, while a property already connected to its network does not need that new cable work.
It could provide a no-engineer connection if the selected network works at the flat. Ofcom warns that predicted wireless availability can differ at an individual property, so check the address and assess the connection where you will use it.
Check the minimum term, cancellation notice and conditions for leaving or returning equipment. Ofcom says broadband contracts commonly run for 12, 18 or 24 months; a rolling plan may offer a different commitment but still has notice requirements.
Consider a portable hotspot if carrying the connection between places matters most; consider a home hub for a connection intended to serve the flat. Three distinguishes portable mobile broadband from home broadband. For either device, check coverage, data terms and its capacity for your regular devices.