Landlord withheld council tax letters

james2234

Hi,
I've recently had an issue with the council sending debt collection agents to my landlords house about the council tax on the flat i'm renting from them. This was pretty surprising for me as i registered with them as a student in spring and hadn't received any sort of warning or notice that anything was wrong with my council tax until i heard from my landlord. She's has however asked me to pass on her mail and i think that's likely where the letter went and she never opened it.

My estate agent is now threatening to take the money from my deposit, as their's a clause in my contract saying that the tenant is responsible for the council tax. As i didn't get any warning letters that i needed to recofirm my student status for whatever reason am i still liable for the fee's, and what does the landlord/agent have to prove to take the money from my deposit.

Thanks in advance!

Caz3121

Is this a property you rented alone or was it an HMO?
When did you provide your student status evidence to the council?

CIS

You need to sort out the above first but if the council sent to the address they have for you then they are not responsible for what happens after that.

I will add that I've seen numerous similar cases but never once (in ten years) have I known a landlord or agent pass any money on to the council from someone's deposit.

MoneySavingNovice

Unless the house is 'in multiple occupation' i.e. a shared house, its simply nothing to do with the landlord. The liability for council tax is with the household and not the landlord.

Ring the council without delay and sort it out. It really depends on the council what reception you receive. It will also be worthwhile getting a letter from your collage/university confirming your status as a full-time student.



One further thought, you might need to confirm your student status every academic year. This is where things could have gone wrong here.