How to share council tax bills

rachel_m1

I am currently living in a property with 4 others, one student the others working. We have a joint contract but I did not choose to live with all of these people, different tenants kept getting replaced.

I was on Jobseekers allowance until I found a job last week and had housing benefit and council tax exemption.

Now I have found out my housemates are being told to pay the years council tax of over £800 by end of march. Bailiffs already came, and they sorted that out, but now two of them cant afford to pay their share. (given aswel 2 housemates left and never paid their share)

How do i start paying my share from the 3rd feb, without my payments just being taken off their mound of huge debt?

alwaysonthego_2

What name is on the council tax bill?

Oldernotwiser

A house with this number of tenants should be registered as a House In Multiple Occupancy and the council tax should be paid by the landlord. You should contact the landlord and give his contact details to the council.

rachel_m1

The name originally was the landlord, and the name now is one of the girls who lives here. The bailiffs were for the landlord, but the landlord made us go to the council as he said it was not his responsibility as we have a joint tenacy agreement. I just want to pay my share, which is the annoying part that the council lump it all together!

Oldernotwiser

I'm not an expert, but I think he's avoided registering this as an HMO and is trying to wriggle out of paying the council tax as he should. I don't know whether a joint tenancy affects this, but I don't see how you can have this if people are moved in and out by him.

Why not post this on the Housing and Lettings Board - many people there are landlords and will know much more about it than we do here on Benefits.

sue1953

Hi
Council Tax law states that if the tenants of a property have a joint tenancy agreement then they are liable to pay Council Tax. However, if they each have a separate agreement (ie for just for their room and shared facilities) then the landlord is liable ie it is a house in multiple occupation.
It looks like this landlord knows the law and as stated above knows how to wriggle out of paying Council Tax.

daveturney

What is an HMO?

Under the changes in the Housing Act 2004, if a landlord lets a property which is one of the following types it is a House in Multiple Occupation:

• an entire house or flat which is let to three or more tenants who form two or more households and who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet (for a definition of household please see the frequently asked questions)
• a house which has been converted entirely into bedsits or other non-self-contained accommodation and which is let to three or more tenants who form two or more households and who share kitchen, bathroom or toilet facilities
• a converted house which contains one or more flats which are not wholly self contained (ie the flat does not contain within it a kitchen, bathroom and toilet) and which is occupied by three or more tenants who form two or more households
• a building which is converted entirely into self-contained flats if the conversion did not meet the standards of the 1991 Building Regulations and more than one-third of the flats are let on short-term tenancies
• in order to be an HMO the property must be used as the tenants' only or main residence and it should be used solely or mainly to house tenants. Properties let to students and migrant workers will be treated as their only or main residence and the same will apply to properties which are used as domestic refuges

What I wouldnt do, is run this HMO thing by the Landlord, run it by the council instead, from my experience Landlords are wriggly and will try toget out of anything if they can, go into the coucil, get something in writing and then hopefully, they will be the ones contacting him.
Dont know about the £800, but hopefully you can start paying yours ( and only yours ) from March.