Please help...Council Tax Not Banded

skittles1911

I am going to be moving into a flat soon and the landlord has been pestering the local council to have the property banded for over a year. it has been valued multiple times and has been chased but they still haven't placed a banding on it. We cannot pay any council tax until it has been banded but I am wondering if the local authority will backdate all council tax from when we move in as this could be a big lump sump? Any help would be great!

CIS

The council are not responsible for banding a property , property banding the is job of the Valuation Office Agency (https://www.voa.gov.uk). Your landlord may be better of contacting the local VOA office himself.

Once the VOA make a decison on the date the property should be banded from then council tax is due from thar date (even if it was backdated).

lincroft1710

Start saving £100 a month to cover any backdated demand.

CHW

The Council where I live and work will send out a temporary bill based on an estimated banding, give them a call and see whether they will do this.

CIS

The Council where I live and work will send out a temporary bill based on an estimated banding, give them a call and see whether they will do this.

Many council's won't now - my authority has just abandoned doing it after the VOA advised them that they were one of the last authorities doing so.

skittles1911

Thanks for your replies on this. I am just concerned that we could move out of the property and suddenly get a bill years down the line if it still isn't banded when we move?!

guppy

Find out which Valuation Office deals with the area the flat is in and give them a call directly explaining the situation.

I wouldn't rely on the landlord telling the council telling the VOA..

The VOA should be able to give an estimate of the band over the phone assuming it hasn't already been valued.

CHW

If you cannot get any joy out of either the Council re a temporary bill or the VO, the only option is to treat it like it's a bill currently in payment- mentally band the house in comparison to others of a similar ilk and start paying it now- into a savings account (all this needs is the self discipline to do it and not to touch it). Council tax is by and large a weekly or monthly bill so treat it as such, the fact that you don't have a bill does not make it any less of an expense.

CIS

I would second what CHW says - too many people fail to budget for the money and put it to one side. It causes big problems late when you get a bill you cant afford.