Ending contract as moving house - does line revert to BT?

[#1]

Hi all, wonder if anyone can advise me on this.  I live in a rented property, and one of the clauses of my tenancy is that when I end the tenancy the home phone line must revert back to BT.  I have PlusNet Home Phone presently, and am due to end my tenancy at the end of September.  Obviously I don't want to take out a new contract to BT, but was wondering, if I cancel my PN Home Phone, does the line automatically revert back to BT?
thanks

[#2]

I don't think that clause makes much sense. BT Openreach still own the line.

[#3]

If you cancel or take your phone service with you to your new address the service at the property you are currently in will be ceased.
The service can then be reactivated by the new occupants with any provider they wish (including BT retail).  
The line will always be a "BT" line - it belongs to BT Openreach.
However, if your agreement means that the phone service must be live with BT retail then you'd need to sign up with them (and enter a contract).
I'd just move my phone service to my new address (or cancel it) and let the new occupier worry about activating the phone again.

[#4]

Hi,
As Paul has mentioned, even if you cancel the telephone line, the physical line will remain property of BT Openreach.

[#5]

Thanks guys for your advice - I can't move my line to my new address as I'm moving in with my partner and he already has a line   So I think I'll do what you suggest and just cancel my contract, I'll let the new tenants worry about it! 
I didn't understand that clause either - or the one that stated my gas and electricity supplier had to remain the same as it was when I moved in (British Gas), since what difference does it make?!  Needless to say I changed those suppliers too ... 
thanks again

[#6]

Quote

or the one that stated my gas and electricity supplier had to remain the same as it was when I moved in (British Gas), since what difference does it make?!  Needless to say I changed those suppliers too

Just make sure you leave a note letting the new people know who the gas and electricity suppliers are - it makes life a lot easier when you're moving in (even if you are switching to different suppliers you need to use the existing suppliers until the accounts are moved over) and it saves a few calls to Transco etc. to find out.

[#7]

I don't get it? Surely anybody can supply you with Gas and Electricity.
You just need to give them details of the meter number and readings, and your account details etc and away you go.
The only complication would be if the services where disconnected, but that doesn't really happen very often.

[#8]

@James_G
I've just been through this whole process as I've just moved house!!
The property you move into will already be supplied by a company for electricity and by the same or another company for gas.
The meters are registered to those companies and you must pay those companies for your usage until the supplies (read meter registrations) are switched to your new provider which can take up to six weeks.  However, you cannot switch for the first 30 days as you need to sign up with the incumbent provider first before you can move (although you can start the process before 30 days - you have a minimum term of 30 days with the incumbent supplier).
I initiated the process for moving house with the supplier at my old address and am still waiting for them to take over the supply at my new address (which I moved into in August).  The process was started before I moved out of the old house.  Once I'd moved into the new property they needed to know who the current supplier was plus the Meter Point Reference for the gas meter and the MPAN number of the electricity meter.  I also had to sign up with the incumbent supplier.
It's all a bit of a hassle as I thought, like you, that I'd simply be able to sign up with whoever from day one!

[#9]

Hmm - perhaps I'd better find out who supplies our new house then...

[#10]

Hmm. Interesting info guys. Seems to me that possibly Estate Agents or Solicitors aren't doing the job effectively if no-one is warned of this problem. Is it not possible to initiate the process 30 days before you move in (as perhaps one would with phone, water, council tax etc) ?

[#11]

Solicitors don't do their job effectively.
They spend weeks pratting about when if they simply picked up the phone and spoke to people they would find resolutions to problems are much more forthcoming.

[#12]

Well I've always thought that (and rip you off for the privilege and charge extra for the time to put any cock-ups right!!), anyway maybe the issue(s) are something that should be referred to the regulators for a change to the rules, one should be able to move in as a new occupier starting with whoever you want. Why should it take six weeks? Only takes 10-14 days for the phone - although if the exiting occupier has it turned-off, a new occupier can have turned on in a very short time (considerably less than 10 days!) but there is a possible downside to that method - broadband cease and the associated rip-off charge