Is it illegal to remove the landline phone outlet?

grace_slick · May 22, 2008 8:14 pm

The apartment I'm buying obviously comes with a landline phone outlet plug thing with that annoying plate you can hang certain phones on/attach them to the wall, etc.

Firstly, we want this plate gone. We need the wall for a bookshelf. Our phones can't attach to walls anyway.

Secondly, we don't need the landline outlet at all, as we have no landline. We use Virgin broadband @ home which is also a landline but runs through the modem which just plugs into a powerpoint anywhere in the apartment (that gets decent reception), so...no need for a landline.

Do we HAVE to keep the landline for any future buyers if we sell our apartment one day down the track? Is it illegal somehow if we covered up the outlet and then potential buyers years later will move in with no phone capabilities (or many expenses to reinstate one)?

Michelle · May 22, 2008 8:18 pm

[quote="grace_slick]
Do we HAVE to keep the landline for any future buyers if we sell our apartment one day down the track? Is it illegal somehow if we covered up the outlet and then potential buyers years later will move in with no phone capabilities (or many expenses to reinstate one)?[/quote]

I hung a painting over mine……out of sight out of mind!

grace_slick · May 22, 2008 8:33 pm

lol Yeah, I think we'll just remove that plate thing that the phones are meant to hang on, so we can actually put the bookshelf there. Right now with the plate thing the shelf would stick out too much.

_Al_ · May 23, 2008 8:35 am

Put a blank wall plate in it's place and attach the cable to the back of it. Next person can remove the plate and grab the wire. Or wire up an RJ45 plate.

Shady · May 23, 2008 3:27 pm

grace_slick

Do we HAVE to keep the landline for any future buyers if we sell our apartment one day down the track?

No you dont have to keep it at all.

grace_slick

Is it illegal somehow if we covered up the outlet and then potential buyers years later will move in with no phone capabilities (or many expenses to reinstate one)?

Not illegal to cover it up with a painting but it is illegal to remove/unscrew/change/whatever yourself unless your a qualified telecommunications technician.....But who's going to know.
Rip the thing off the wall and chuck it away, or at least move it onto the skirting board.