Letting Agent's lying about Council Tax Band

HarryH22

Hi all,

I moved into a property last year which was advertised by the letting agency as Band C when it was actually Band D - an increase of c£200 annually. Before signing the contract, I double checked the banding by email and also whilst in their office. After moving in, the council tax bill came and stated Band D. Obviously aggrieved, I called the letting agent and ask for an explanation of the difference and was advised it must have just changed. I checked online and saw that it had always been band C but when you break it down monthly its only around £20 more so ultimately just swallowed it.

Now, I have recently given my notice to move out and viewings are starting to be arranged. Out of curiosity I've checked the advert online and again can see it has been listed as Band C. Is this allowed? I spoke to many people about this at the firm last year both over phone and email so feel like they are deliberately trying to mislead prospective tenants.

I'll add that this is one of the worst firms I have ever dealt with and had the property not been so nice, I would have avoided purely because of their service and the way they do business. I would like to point out to them that they are misleading people but thought I'd share here first to get some different views.

Thanks!

hazyjo

They've probably just used the old ad. They're not going to trawl through previous correspondence from the current tenant (you) or remember a fact like that a year on.


By all means ring them and tell them their ad is wrong.


I expect most people will check direct with the council (online) as to what their council tax band will be anyway?

AdrianC

The only time bands change is if something triggers a change - usually a change in the CT payer, following an extension.

If you search for the banding on a property, and it has an Improvement Indicator flag, that means that PP has been granted since the last payer change, and so the band will be reviewed when the payer next changes.
http://cti.voa.gov.uk/cti/inits.asp

A review doesn't always mean it WILL change... just that it might.
When we bought here, there was an II flag - and that resulted in it being rebanded, following a large extension having been built five years earlier. There's an II flag on there now, because of a garage having been built - I doubt very much that'd result in a reband, but it won't be our problem anyway, it'll be the next CT payer.

As for why it's been listed with the same band this time... Human error's the most likely cause.

G_M

Write them a letter to remind them. If they still don't change the ad, then try the relevant ombudsman.

Marvel1

I would have looked online myself to find the band and then the local council site to find the price within that band for that area.

D_M_E

I would have put the postcode into http://www.mycounciltax.org.uk/content/index and found what it would have been.

Gives a good idea of what the annual amount is as well as the expected banding.

Tom99

AdrianC wrote: »

The only time bands change is if something triggers a change - usually a change in the CT payer, following an extension.

If you search for the banding on a property, and it has an Improvement Indicator flag, that means that PP has been granted since the last payer change, and so the band will be reviewed when the payer next changes.
http://cti.voa.gov.uk/cti/inits.asp

A review doesn't always mean it WILL change... just that it might.
When we bought here, there was an II flag - and that resulted in it being rebanded, following a large extension having been built five years earlier. There's an II flag on there now, because of a garage having been built - I doubt very much that'd result in a reband, but it won't be our problem anyway, it'll be the next CT payer.

As for why it's been listed with the same band this time... Human error's the most likely cause.

Its when the owner changes not when the payer changed so a new rental tenant does not trigger a review re past extensions.