council tax and renting

kelly_2009

Hi
Please has anyone got any advice.
I was supposed to move into a flat a week ago went and pick up the keys but then due personal curcmastances I never ended up moving in and the letting agents have the keys for the Flat and told me that I would not have to pay council tax as the flat had no funturie in it and I never moved in.
Today I recevied a council tax bill and I have just spoke to the council and they have told me that I have to pay the full yrs council tax even thou I was only on a 6mth contract and that due to the flat being empty for over 6mths before I moved in I cannot apply for a expetmation on the bill so I still have to pay even thou I dont have the key and dont live there .

Is there anythind that I can do ??????
Is this right?????

Please help any advice welcome
THANK YOU for taking time to read this.

mrcol1000

It sounds like the owner has declared the property as empty to the council and got 6 months exemption from council tax. Now thats run out and council tax is liable.
But you need to give some more infomation.
If your living in the flat and renting it now then you may have to pay council tax from when you started the lease even if it was empty due to this exemption running out. However if your not renting the flat now and living elsewhere then they can't really chase you for it. Unless the landlord is making you pay rent till they find a new tenant.

BitterAndTwisted

Did you sign a rental agreement contract for this property? What has happened since, did the landlord release you from the contract or are you still responsible for paying the rent?

kelly_2009

The landord has relased me from the contract but I had to pay three months rent to get relased
I dont have the key for the flat and there is nonething in the flat it is empty.
thank you for your help

mrcol1000

Then your have to pay three months council tax then unless they can get a tenant before the three months are up. Unless you can talk the owner into paying three months of council tax? If its been empty for 6 months then the empty charge exemption has run out.

lincroft1710

mrcol1000 wrote: »

Then your have to pay three months council tax then unless they can get a tenant before the three months are up. Unless you can talk the owner into paying three months of council tax? If its been empty for 6 months then the empty charge exemption has run out.

If OP has been released from the contract then she no longer has a right of occupation and therefore should not be responsible for CT. Surely the 3 months "rent" payment is a contract break payment and not actual rent?

CIS

If OP has been released from the contract then she no longer has a right of occupation and therefore should not be responsible for CT. Surely the 3 months "rent" payment is a contract break payment and not actual rent?

I agree.

If the 3 months 'rent' is merely a buy out 'fee' which it appears it is then the OP no longer has any liability from the date the tenancy ceased (likley to be the date the payment was agreed) otherwise if it was 3 months rent payment then the OP would have right of occupation and would be liable for the Council Tax (assuming no one else is resident in the property).

It sounds like the owner has declared the property as empty to the council and got 6 months exemption from council tax. Now thats run out and council tax is liable.

Probably the most likely explanation but I would always advise the OP to apply anyway as the advice given out is not always correct (I've lost count of the number of complaints Ive dealt with due to wrong information being given out)

Today I recevied a council tax bill and I have just spoke to the council and they have told me that I have to pay the full yrs council tax even thou I was only on a 6mth contract and that due to the flat being empty for over 6mths before I moved in I cannot apply for a expetmation on the bill so I still have to pay even thou I dont have the key and dont live there .

Until an end date is added to your period of Council Tax liability you remain liable for the balance for the remainder of the year. The Council are quite legal in doing so however once an end date is added you will be charged only for the actual period of liability.