We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Question regarding Council Tax when spending significant time at two addresses

Options
Hi all, first time posting here, hope I'm in the right place. If not, please redirect me to the right place or move my thread if that's possible.

I'm asking a question on behalf of my dad. He's in his 70s and fully owns his house, no mortgage, etc. He has a partner who also owns her own house. My dad pays council tax for his own house, and his partner for hers. They spend significant amounts of time at each other's house, roughly a 50/50 split per week between the two.

Only lately, they're both paranoid that since they're only paying council tax for one person living at each address, one of their neighbours is going to make some kind of complaint to the council that more than one person is living at each address.

The unlikeliness of someone snitching on them aside, is this even an issue? Surely if both of them have paid their council taxes for their addresses, there's no issue? Do you have to pay council tax twice like that? Or is there some kind of "days spent at an address" amount that qualifies somebody as "living" at an address? My dad is the only owner of his house, and his partner of hers. Neither has a stake in the other's home financially.

Any help would be much appreciated. I've heard a few things on the matter and its kind of a specific question which I've not been able to find an exact answer for. If you need any more information on the situation, let me know and I'll be happy to oblige.

Thanks very much in advance! :money:

Comments

  • CIS
    CIS Posts: 12,260 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    If it's a case of them visiting one property for a few days and then returning back to live at their own property then there shouldn't be a problem.



    The problem starts to come if they start spending the majority of time at just one property.
    I no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.
  • CIS wrote: »
    If it's a case of them visiting one property for a few days and then returning back to live at their own property then there shouldn't be a problem.



    The problem starts to come if they start spending the majority of time at just one property.

    They tend to be together at either house. I think the only day they're alone at their own properties is Mondays. The rest of the time, they're both at one address, or both at the other. But it sounds like a 50/50 split.
    Do you happen to know what the law is on this matter though? What constitutes a majority of time? 50%?
    Thanks for the reply!
  • CIS
    CIS Posts: 12,260 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    They tend to be together at either house. I think the only day they're alone at their own properties is Mondays. The rest of the time, they're both at one address, or both at the other. But it sounds like a 50/50 split.
    Do you happen to know what the law is on this matter though? What constitutes a majority of time? 50%?
    Thanks for the reply!


    There is no specific council tax legislation, it's a matter of degrees as there are far too many variables to set something absolute in law. There is nothing at all which stops a couple retaining separate residences (even for married couples).

    It has evolved in to a series of indicative tests - Where does a person keep their Dr, Driving Licence, Voting etc ?. Do they own the property that they return to ? Where would an outside observer say they were living as their 'sole or main residence' ?

    In what you have said there is nothing so far that would indicate that their 'sole or main residences' have changed.
    I no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.
  • CIS wrote: »
    There is no specific council tax legislation, it's a matter of degrees as there are far too many variables to set something absolute in law. There is nothing at all which stops a couple retaining separate residences (even for married couples).

    It has evolved in to a series of indicative tests - Where does a person keep their Dr, Driving Licence, Voting etc ?. Do they own the property that they return to ? Where would an outside observer say they were living as their 'sole or main residence' ?

    In what you have said there is nothing so far that would indicate that their 'sole or main residences' have changed.

    That's perfect, thanks! My dad is registered to the GP surgery near his house, his driving license is registered there, he's registered to vote there, etc... and his partner has all of her equivalents of those at her house.
    They're both paying their council tax so I don't see what he is worried about, I just wanted to know what the law was in regards to this, but since there is no hard and fast rule, I suppose that's why I couldn't find anything. I just wanted to know to set his mind at ease a bit, he's the kind of person who thinks he's a criminal because he forgot to give something back he borrowed from a job he had 25 years ago... this can be one less thing on his list of charges :rotfl:
    Thanks very much again!
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 350.7K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 243.7K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 598.5K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.8K Life & Family
  • 256.9K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.