Landlord wants to take over council tax payments

Guest101

The LL wont pay, you'll have to pay the council tax and then sue your landlord, who conveniently is selling the asset to which you could attach a charge.


I'd avoid.

theartfullodger

Deeply suspicious: He's up to something, on the fiddle...

Think you've got 3 obvious options...

a) Ignore him, carry on with it in your own name...
b) Say you'll agree, after seeing & agreeing the wording of the letter, plus a £100/month (or whatever..) rent reduction {Well, he's up to something ...}
c) Grass him up the the council over council-tax plan, the tax-man as he's probably not declaring his rent income
https://www.gov.uk/report-an-unregistered-trader-or-business
& his lender as he likely hasn't told them he's renting the place out. Find out who for £3 by checking the deeds here...
https://www.gov.uk/search-property-information-land-registry
- or some combination of all three... I'd do b) then c) a couple of months later...

You don't live in the same building as he does do you?? Gas safety certificate??

villieb

he may have the santander 123 account and want to maximise cashback?

G_M

I agree with the above. Either he is avoiding tax, and/or has no CTL/BTL mortgage, and/or is planning what Guest101 suggests above.

The bottom line is that the council will always come to you as occupant to chase payment, so any increase in rent you pay leaves you vulnerable.

Mrs_pbradley936

I do this for a legitimate reason in that every winter I spend a few months somewhere sunny and my house insurance says they place cannot be unoccupied for more than 28 days. My solution OK with Council and insurance ( I expect also ok for electric, gas, internet and phone but nothing in writing) is to keep all standing orders in my name because I am returning to my own residential property and the move is temporary.

I cannot do an Assured Shorthold Tenancy because that entitles the renters to be there for 6 months. It has to be a date to date tenancy but so far it has worked out fine. It is usually for about 3 months or just under - just enough for the spiteful cold to be over!

Guest101

Mrs_pbradley936 wrote: »

I do this for a legitimate reason in that every winter I spend a few months somewhere sunny and my house insurance says they place cannot be unoccupied for more than 28 days. My solution OK with Council and insurance ( I expect also ok for electric, gas, internet and phone but nothing in writing) is to keep all standing orders in my name because I am returning to my own residential property and the move is temporary.

You do what for a legitimate reason?


You rent out your house? on a holiday let basis?


that's very different to having a tenant.....

Pixie5740

OP, just a thought, does your local council have compulsory registration for landlords?

Pixie5740

Mrs_pbradley936 wrote: »

I cannot do an Assured Shorthold Tenancy because that entitles the renters to be there for 6 months. It has to be a date to date tenancy but so far it has worked out fine. It is usually for about 3 months or just under - just enough for the spiteful cold to be over!

Just because you don't want to let the property for 6 months that doesn't mean to say that you aren't creating an AST giving the tenants the right to stay there for at least 6 months.

Mrs_pbradley936

Guest101 wrote: »

You do what for a legitimate reason?


You rent out your house? on a holiday let basis?


that's very different to having a tenant.....

I keep the standing orders running hence everything is in my name because it would be too much hassle to change everything over for such a short time. I was simply highlighting that there are legitimate reasons in some cases for keeping the Council tax in the owners name.

I would agree that if a person does not actually live there then it is odd that they should volunteer to pay a bill for which they are not liable. Presumably they are paying Council tax where they do live so who would pay twice?

Guest101

Mrs_pbradley936 wrote: »

I keep the standing orders running hence everything is in my name because it would be too much hassle to change everything over for such a short time. - You rent as a holiday let? (do you pay business rates to the local council ? - you should ) I was simply highlighting that there are legitimate reasons in some cases for keeping the Council tax in the owners name. - tenancies are very different.

I would agree that if a person does not actually live there then it is odd that they should volunteer to pay a bill for which they are not liable. Presumably they are paying Council tax where they do live so who would pay twice?

Landlords. Some Landlords (those of HMO's - pay the council tax).


This is not a HMO, so they are not liable. However they could be via contract. That would be liability to the tenant.


They are not volunteering to pay the bill. They are asking the tenant to pay it, via themselves.