Paying rates on a student let

instructor_2

My daughter is graduating uni this year and wants to share a house with friends who will be students for another year.
She seems to think that she will be responsible for the rates on the house because she is not a student, or are the rates usually included for everyone to pay.
I'm not sure what the rules are, if any, does anyone else know or have similar experience?

RAS

You are referring to rates? In which country do you live?

anselld

Assuming you mean council tax, one person sharing with students will be responsible for the entire bill. However they would get single person discount (25%?)

G_M

Students are exempt so pay nothing. For Council Tax purposes, assuming she is the ONLY non-student, it would be as if she were living alone. 25% single person allowance off the CT bill for the property.

instructor_2

Thank you, yes she's in England, and I meant Council Tax (duh).

So 75% of the council tax would be payable by her. But if, for example, she was to be one of two non-students then they would pay 50% each of the total council tax

RAS

instructor wrote: »

So 75% of the council tax would be payable by her. But if, for example, she was to be one of two non-students then they would pay 50% each of the total council tax

You and your daughter need to understand joint and several liability.
Where Ct is concerned, she and the other non-student would both be legally laible for the whole 100% of the CT.

We get far too many youngsters on here who arranged for one person to collect and pay the CT, and it is only when the bailiffs arrive that they discover the money was never paid to the Council. Or they paid their portion and are being chased because someone else did not and they are still living there.

Same with rent really, so households like this need to meet once a month and ensure that the bills are being paid by the person responsible for each account.

instructor_2

Thanks Ras and all.

anselld

instructor wrote: »

Thank you, yes she's in England, and I meant Council Tax (duh).

So 75% of the council tax would be payable by her. But if, for example, she was to be one of two non-students then they would pay 50% each of the total council tax

This is correct.

1399steve

It depends how many non-students are living in the house.

If your daughter is the only non-student then she would qualify for 25% discount but would have to pay the 75% herself.

If there is more than one non-student they would not get the 25% discount but would split the CT bill between them.

tbs624

Note that if the property is an HMO it is the LL who becomes responsible for payment of any C Tax due, which is why LLs will usually only let to a household that is comprised wholly of students.

G_M wrote:

Students are exempt so pay nothing.

For any other students/potential students who are reading the thread ..........provided that they have completed and returned to the Council the necessary forms, which require Uni/college confirmation of their F/T student status. ( If property an HMO the forms should be passed to the LL) Some students omit to do this and are then surprised when they receive a CT demand