Flatmate is moving out - council tax

beerinmind

Joint tenant, I assume? There is one contract for the whole flat, and our both names are on it.
I don't need (and cannot get) the 25% discount though, for there are always two tenants living. I just to get his half of the council tax that I'm paying.

Comms69

beerinmind wrote: »

Joint tenant, I assume? There is one contract for the whole flat, and our both names are on it.
I don't need (and cannot get) the 25% discount though, for there are always two tenants living. I just to get his half of the council tax that I'm paying.

Just checking. You seem to have done it again though. This guy may stop paying rent, bills, whatever. And it'll all still be up to you to pay.

beerinmind

I see.. I'm paying all the bills 100% and he was sending to me his half via standing orders for all the bills, except for the council tax. Anyway, sounds like there is not much I can do now, just hope he will pay and not just disappear. And if he does? Can i sell 250 to debt collectors?

Comms69

beerinmind wrote: »

I see.. I'm paying all the bills 100% and he was sending to me his half via standing orders for all the bills, except for the council tax. Anyway, sounds like there is not much I can do now, just hope he will pay and not just disappear. And if he does? Can i sell 250 to debt collectors?

Not without going to court first and the issue then is you don't know where he is

beerinmind

Well the council should know as they inquire new address at the move out form.. Sounds like there was nothing i could do to protect my money

CIS

beerinmind wrote: »

Well the council should know as they inquire new address at the move out form.. Sounds like there was nothing i could do to protect my money

On vacating the property there is no legal requirement to supply a forwarding address.



Are the council aware of the joint tenants of the property ?

Even if the council are aware of the joint tenants, and have updated the council tax account accordingly, they're not bothered who pays as all tenants are both individually and jointly responsible for full payment. If the monies aren't paid then the council can enforce, at their discretion, against any of the tenants for the full balance.

G_M

beerinmind wrote: »

Sorry I didn't check for replies here.

So we both were renting a 2 bedroom. It's a rolling contract with a one month notice period. The guy decided to move out, I decided I'd stay. I've found another guy to move in once that guy moved out. All the bills we were splitting in half. All the bills were paid monthly, except for the council tax, as it took council three months to send the new bill and set up direct debit. So the guy has moved out and paid his half of all the bills, except for the council tax. Hope this makes it clear.

This raises other worrying possibilities.


Re the council tax I don't see the issue. Assuming your agreement with him is to share the costs whilst you share the property, then you take the annual cost (as comms69 says). divide by 2 for his annual share. Divide that by 12 (months) and multiply by the 4 months he lived there. What to argue about?


But I'd be more concerned about my joint tenant leaving!


Assuming you and he are indeed joint tenants, he cannot legally just walk away from his contractual obligations.

* what date did this joint tenancy start?
* how long is it for or what is the end date?
* is there a Break Clause and if so

a) what does it say and
b) have you both jointly implemented it?
* Was there a deposit paid to the landlord for the joint tenancy?
* is the Landlord returning it in full? his half?
* is the joint tenancy being ended? If so how? By who? On what terms?
* when a replacement housemate arrives, will a new joint tenancy be created in new joint names?

* will a new deposit be taken by the landlord, and protected?


So many unanswered issues!