Number of TENs allowed is going up – in 2016

When will the new amount of TENs allowed come into force?

Published: 28 May 2015

Q: I manage a pub and recently we have had a very successful karaoke night on Saturdays, using Temporary Event Notices (TENs) to effectively extend the existing hours on our premises licence so we can trade for longer. I have two more karaoke nights planned this year. We only have one TEN remaining as we have used 11 out of the 12 TENs permitted for the year. However my Deputy Manager has told me he thinks the number of permitted TENS for a premises has now increased to 15. Could you confirm whether this is true?

A: Your Deputy Manager is right in that the number of TENs permitted for a premises is increasing to 15 per calendar year (following the introduction of the Deregulation Act) but this will only take effect from 2016. Therefore for this year, the maximum number of TENs for a premises is still 12. It is worth noting that if your karaoke event finishes by 11pm, and is for audiences of 500 or less, it is unlikely to require licensing due to various deregulation that has occurred since 2012, starting with the Live Music Act.