So the law is that they can't prevent you from mounting it on a balcony? But the roof is part of the complex, right? And I assume the outside wall is too.

BTW, if you tick off your landlords, what's to prevent them from jacking up your rent?

They can't jack up your rent because you have a lease. They also can't charge you more than someone in a comparable apartment. So, if they raise your rent, they must also raise the rent on any apartment with a similar floorplan. They are allowed to make some adjustments for apartments in desirable locations, such as near the pool or with a view, but as a rule, your rent cannot be significantly higher than similar apartments in the complex.

Red Dog, it appears you are correct and I am wrong. You have the right to mount it in an area you control ... but they don't have to let you mount it elsewhere if you don't have line of sight. However, I've seen so many apartments do this (a happy tenent is a good tenent) that I assumed that it was part of the law.

I have in the past rigged up elaborate mounting systems to get around obstructions to the dish signal, so it's not impossible to still get a signal, and may prompt your landlord to help facilitate your mounting.

Oh, and here's the text of the law.