Sharing council tax

Pianoman1

I am just moving out of a flat and working out how much I owe. I was sub letter by a friend who is the main registered tenant of the flat. It was a short term thing for 3 months and a week. He is American and didn't really explain council tax system very well and is new to me too as I only recently graduated.

It is a 2 bed flat, but he shares a room with his wife who is in her final year of dentistry degree. The way we worked it out in the end is that I pay half. Apparently we have no discount even with a student living there, and he said because his wife is a student that she doesn't pay. I have been faithfully giving this money, because for some reason I was under the impression that CT is worked out per person.

I am going to have to stick with my agreement as I did not bring anything up at the time, but do you think this is a reasonable deal or should I have paid a little less than half?

lincroft1710

Council Tax is 50% property, 25% occupant. So if there are less than 2 occupants or an exempt occupant (e.g. student) there is a 25% reduction. There is no extra charge where there are more than 2 occupants.

The responsibility for paying CT in your situation is the registered tenant, as I would presume that your status was a "lodger" rather than a true tenant. As your occupation of the flat only cost your friend his 25% discount, it could be argued that you only owe him 25% of the CT bill for 3 months.

kitschkitty

lincroft1710 wrote: »

Council Tax is 50% property, 25% occupant. So if there are less than 2 occupants or an exempt occupant (e.g. student) there is a 25% reduction. There is no extra charge where there are more than 2 occupants.

The responsibility for paying CT in your situation is the registered tenant, as I would presume that your status was a "lodger" rather than a true tenant. As your occupation of the flat only cost your friend his 25% discount, it could be argued that you only owe him 25% of the CT bill for 3 months.

If OP was 1 of 2 tenants eligible to pay council tax (other tenants wife being exempt) then he should be paying 50%n of the total (100%) council tax.

The fact that before he moved in the original tenant was paying 100% of what the council expected him to pay which was incidentally 75% or the normal rate (due to his wife being exempt) is irrelevant.