Council Tax

Danny__3

am I right that as a student I will not have to pay council tax? I am thinking of renting a two bedroom property with a friend who is not a student. I have never had to pay bills before! How would this work?

MrsManda

Council tax is charged by household so the property will have a council tax band. Your friend will have to pay council tax but will get a 25% 'single person' discount as students don't pay council tax so for tax purposes your friend will be living alone.
More information can be found HERE

Oldernotwiser

Danny_ wrote: »

am I right that as a student I will not have to pay council tax? I am thinking of renting a two bedroom property with a friend who is not a student. I have never had to pay bills before! How would this work?

Students renting with non students makes things very complicated. Your friend should be liable for all the council tax (after the 25% discount) but many people in your situation might feel that the charge should be split equally.

Fire_Fox

Some councils also see you as jointly and severally liable if your friend does not pay. Be very careful.

CIS

Some councils also see you as jointly and severally liable if your friend does not pay. Be very careful.

As a student you cannot be held jointly liable for council tax with a non-student (since the rules changed on 01 April 2004) unless you have the higher interest in the property (i.e the student was the resident owner and the non-student was a lodger)

Fire_Fox

Hmmm, interesting.

This is an NUS document from 2006 which suggests otherwise ...
http://resource.nusonline.co.uk/media/resource/Information%20Sheet%20202.pdf

MrsManda

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Hmmm, interesting.
This is an NUS document from 2006 which suggests otherwise ...
http://resource.nusonline.co.uk/media/resource/Information%20Sheet%20202.pdf

Actually it doesn't - the NUS document states 'Until 1 April 2004 an anomaly existed in England and Wales where full-time students living with non-students became jointly and severally liable for the tax. This was resolved in the Local Government Finance Act 2003 but not retroactively and, therefore, if you were a fulltime student living with a non-student before 1 April 2004 it is possible you could become liable for payment of council tax.'

So the OP can not be held liable for any council tax while he is a student. Though the person he will be living with will be liable for all of the council tax bar a 25% 'single person' discount

Dave101t

try and keep non-students off the radar, no post, no bills and no council tax!

tbs624

Dave101t wrote: »

try and keep non-students off the radar, no post, no bills and no council tax!

:rolleyes:Yes, because it will be a fantastic start to working life won't it - a nice shiny degree certificate but a big student debt plus a criminal conviction for council tax fraud...............

tbs624

Danny_ wrote: »

am I right that as a student I will not have to pay council tax? I am thinking of renting a two bedroom property with a friend who is not a student. I have never had to pay bills before! How would this work?

Some LLs of student properties will not let to joint student/working tenants but it as some of the other have said : you would gain exemption by obtaining a certificate from your Uni and your friend would then be able to claim a single person discount as you would be disregarded for council tax purposes.

popularfurball

We were told last year that we would be liable for the non-student who lived in the house (he dropped out so couldnt get a certificate). However, I posted them all the certificates I could and havent heard from them since! ^_^

Advisors at our council seem to know nothing. It was a bit of a joke!