The DIRECTV landlord permission form is a one-page document that records your property owner’s written consent to a satellite dish installation at a rental address. Download it from directv.com/legal/directv-installation-permission-form, or ask a customer service representative to send a copy when you place your order.1DIRECTV. DIRECTV Landlord Approval Form Print it, get the right section signed, and have it ready for the technician on installation day. Without it, the technician will usually reschedule rather than start the job.
When You Actually Need the Form
A standard professional installation often involves drilling holes to run cables and attaching equipment to the outside of the building. Most leases either prohibit that outright or require the landlord’s advance approval.1DIRECTV. DIRECTV Landlord Approval Form Apartments and other multi-unit buildings almost always trigger the requirement because the dish or cabling touches shared structure.
Single-family rentals follow the same logic. If the technician has to mount a dish on the roof, fasten a bracket to an exterior wall, or drill through siding to route cable indoors, the landlord’s signature protects everyone involved. Installations that stay entirely within your exclusive-use space, such as a portable tripod on your patio, may not strictly require the form, but DIRECTV still recommends having one completed to avoid day-of complications.
Filling Out Section 1: Landlord Authorization
This is the section most tenants use. Your landlord, or an authorized representative of the property management company, fills in three fields and signs:1DIRECTV. DIRECTV Landlord Approval Form
- Landlord or representative name. The full legal name of whoever is granting permission. For managed properties, this is usually the property manager rather than the building’s owner.
- Tenant name. Your name as the DIRECTV customer.
- Tenant address. The full installation address, including the unit number.
Below those fields, the landlord signs and dates the form. The instructions include a “(Please print)” note and a print button, which indicates DIRECTV expects a physical ink signature rather than an electronic one.1DIRECTV. DIRECTV Landlord Approval Form Print the form, bring it to your landlord, and get it signed before your installation date.
Filling Out Section 2: Tenant Self-Certification
Section 2 is for tenants whose landlord has already given verbal approval or whose lease does not require written permission for this kind of modification. You fill in the installation address, sign, and date the form yourself.1DIRECTV. DIRECTV Landlord Approval Form By signing here, you are personally certifying that approval either exists or is unnecessary under your lease. If that turns out to be wrong, you carry the consequences. Read your lease closely before choosing Section 2 over a landlord signature in Section 1.
What You Are Agreeing to by Signing
The form includes a release clause that most tenants skim. By providing the signed form, you release DIRECTV and its technicians from liability for any damages your landlord later claims resulted from a lease violation tied to the installation.1DIRECTV. DIRECTV Landlord Approval Form In practice, if the landlord later says the installation breached the lease and withholds your security deposit, that dispute is between you and the landlord. DIRECTV steps out of it.
This is why a real signature in Section 1 carries weight. A signed Section 1 is documentary evidence that the property owner agreed to the work. If you rely on Section 2 and your landlord later denies giving verbal approval, you have nothing on paper to point to.
Giving the Form to the Technician
Have the completed, signed form in hand when the technician arrives. The installer checks the signature and the authorization details before starting any work.1DIRECTV. DIRECTV Landlord Approval Form If the form is missing, unsigned, or incomplete, company policy generally requires rescheduling rather than proceeding.
Before the appointment, confirm which part of the property the dish will go on (roof, exterior wall, balcony railing) and make sure that matches what your landlord agreed to. If the technician recommends a different mounting location that falls outside the landlord’s approval, you may need an updated authorization before work can continue.
When You May Not Need Landlord Approval at All
Federal law carves out one situation where a landlord generally cannot block the installation and where pre-approval requirements are mostly prohibited: a dish placed entirely within your exclusive-use area. The FCC’s Over-the-Air Reception Devices rule, codified at 47 C.F.R. Section 1.4000, protects dishes one meter (about 39 inches) or less in diameter, which covers standard DIRECTV dishes.2eCFR. 47 CFR 1.4000 – Restrictions Impairing Reception of Television3Federal Communications Commission. Over-the-Air Reception Devices Rule
Exclusive-use areas are spaces only you and your invitees can enter: a balcony, terrace, deck, or patio that belongs to your unit alone.3Federal Communications Commission. Over-the-Air Reception Devices Rule Within those areas, a landlord cannot impose restrictions that unreasonably delay installation, raise its cost, or prevent an acceptable signal.4Federal Communications Commission. Installing Consumer-Owned Antennas and Satellite Dishes Reasonable safety rules and historic-preservation restrictions can still apply, as long as they do not block a usable signal.
The protection ends where common areas begin. Roofs, exterior walls, hallways, shared gardens, and walkways are common areas where OTARD does not apply.3Federal Communications Commission. Over-the-Air Reception Devices Rule Drilling through an exterior wall to run cable into your unit is also generally outside the rule’s protection, because the wall is a common element. If the installation touches any of these, the landlord has full authority to say yes or no, and the permission form is your path forward.
If Your Landlord Refuses
When a landlord blocks an installation that would sit entirely within your exclusive-use area, OTARD is on your side. Start by showing the landlord the FCC’s consumer guide, which states plainly that most pre-approval requirements are prohibited for exclusive-use spaces. Many landlords are simply unaware of the rule and a short conversation resolves it. If it does not, you can file a Petition for Declaratory Ruling with the FCC challenging the restriction.4Federal Communications Commission. Installing Consumer-Owned Antennas and Satellite Dishes
When the installation needs a common area, a rooftop mount for example, OTARD does not apply and the landlord’s refusal stands. Your options then are limited to negotiating directly, exploring a non-penetrating mount that fits within your exclusive-use space, or choosing a different service that does not require exterior hardware.
What Happens When You Move Out
The permission form covers installation. It does not address what happens when you leave. Check your lease for a restoration clause. If it requires you to return the property to its pre-installation condition, arrange for dish removal and basic patching before you go. DIRECTV may retrieve its leased equipment such as the receiver box, but the dish and mounting hardware are generally considered the customer’s property after installation. Leaving the dish in place without the landlord’s agreement is the easiest way to lose part of your security deposit to repair costs for patched holes and cable penetrations.