The FCC wants to scare landlords into thinking they’ll get fined 2 million. The letters are a warning. They want the landlord to evict the tenant for running a pirate. They don’t want a landlord to profit by renting out their rooftop to a pirate to put up an antenna on it.Actually, Congress enacted a law, Public Law No: 116-109. It only addresses unlicensed operation and landlords. The law says nothing about licensed stations operating outside licensed parameters. Is Congress on shaky ground with this law? That is for the courts to decide but, until then, it is the “law of the land.”
But a landlord can be held liable if they knowingly allow illegal activity. To use your example, a man slaps his wife and the landlord observes it but takes no action. Latter, the same man that slapped his wife, assaults another tenant. The victim of that assault may have a valid civil case against the landlord as the landlord knew of the illegal activity and did nothing.
I am not an attorney nor do I represent myself as one…..
Eventually there will be a landlord who ignores the FCC letter and allows a pirate to continue broadcasting. It’ll be interesting to observe what happens