Hive in London Flats and Rentals: What to Check First

• Ask your landlord or agent first, in writing; many tenancies need permission for changes to fixed fittings
• Keep the old programmer, receiver and thermostat safe: a JACK pro can refit them when you move out
• Hive Radiator Valves only replace the heads of existing valves, so the old heads go back on just as easily
• Your Hive account is yours; remove the home from it before you leave

• Hive says its devices have a range of about 10 metres, reduced by thick walls
• A receiver inside a metal boiler cupboard can struggle: Hive asks for 30 cm from large metal objects
• If the router is in a hallway cupboard, the hub may need to move to Wi-Fi to sit somewhere better
• Thick masonry and concrete walls cut range; the pro checks the signal at each device

• Hive's thermostat kit is designed to switch a boiler you control, and its installation guide starts from a working gas central heating system
• Hive Radiator Valves can work without Hive's thermostat, but Hive says they then only adjust each radiator while the heating is already on; Hive describes them for water-based radiators heated by gas or oil boilers and says nothing about communal systems
• Check your lease and building management's rules before changing anything connected to the communal system

A vetted pro prices your job from photos of the boiler, your existing controls and the Hive kit, and the JACK app shows you that fixed price before you book.

Where the wiring already is matters more than the device. A receiver that goes where an old programmer was, on the same wiring, is the simplest job. Hot water on a cylinder, an old wired thermostat to take out of the circuit, a receiver that has to move, or several zones each add time. A photo of the boiler, the old controls and anything labelled near the hot water cylinder lets the pro price what is really there.

Several devices go on one booking for one price: the thermostat, the hub, and Hive Radiator Valves for each room. Other jobs, such as a smart doorbell, can go on the same visit. Where parking has to be paid for, it is added at cost and agreed before you book.

Prefer to pay for the pro's time? Hourly hire works too: as a guide, smart home installation is typically £45–£95 per hour.