Studio flat council tax fraud: what would you do?

redonion

lincroft1710 wrote: »

If the studio flat comprises a dwelling in CT law i.e. it has facilities and room for washing, sleeping, eating, living, preparation of food plus a WC then it should have its own CT band and in the hierarchy of liability, the tenant would be liable for the CT bill.

What parts of CT law exactly says that that those are the relevant criteria?

In Islington, they say you're liable even if there's a shared bathroom, as long as there is a kitchen of some description - maybe just a cooker in a bedsit - in the bit that's private to you:
http://www.islington.gov.uk/services/housing/privatehousing/Pages/hmocounciltax.aspx

princeofpounds

Since it's the tenants that are liable, I'm not sure they do often have hidden wealth to extract.

Ah yes I had really drifted a bit in my post and was referring more to the 'sheds with beds' landlords in that particular sentence.

lincroft1710

redonion wrote: »

What parts of CT law exactly says that that those are the relevant criteria?

In Islington, they say you're liable even if there's a shared bathroom, as long as there is a kitchen of some description - maybe just a cooker in a bedsit - in the bit that's private to you:
http://www.islington.gov.uk/services/housing/privatehousing/Pages/hmocounciltax.aspx

This (rather long) gives full explanation of, and important case law relating to what constitutes a separate dwelling

http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/Publications/Manuals/CouncilTaxManual/council_tax_man_pn/ct-man-pn5.html#P73_820

There is no requirement for there to be a individual bath or shower.

More importantly, what is the actual situation regarding the flat you are interested in.

Fire_Fox

Easy reading
http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/_downloads/pdf/selfContainedUnitsFactsheet.pdf