Council Tax - moving from abroad

greatcrested

Antbell85 said:

I am only doing it in advance to make sure I don't lose the property - staying in a hotel is neither convenient or cheap. 

Registering for CT will not in any way protect you from 'losing the property'. If for some reason the tenancy does not commence, aving registered in advance for CT will simply risk you having to pay CT on a property you don't get to live in!

If you want to guarantee your tenancy, get a tenancy agreement signed by both yourself and the landlord (or his agent) with a specified start date.

Antbell85

macman said:

Antbell85 said:

The landlord isn’t responsible, but most councils will take info from
landlords or have a separate form for landlords and tenants. 

Asking for those details is purely to have more info on who to bill after the tenancy ends. We’ve had situations at work where we have billed people who owned the property YEARS ago as it’s always been tenanted and no one told us the property had been sold or who the new landlords were, so as far as we knew it was still owned by the old owner.

up to date records are better! 

So when a new tenant moves in - is it all done automatically? I will get a new bill at my new address. 
So I should wait till after I have moved in. It's just that I am a bit anxious. 

You are really over-complicatng this. Once your tenancy starts and you are in occupation, then register for CT and all the utilities. No need to do anything before then.
It's not automatic, because the LA are not psychic-they have no idea when a tenancy starts or ends.

Thank you. I will do it the day I get the keys and move in. I take it putting my US address down will be ok?
There is gas, electricity and water. Should I take pics of the meters and text the Landlord as well. I would assume that he was paying these bills whilst the property was empty?
Am I allowed to provide his address if the utlity company asks? 

MaryNB

Antbell85 said:

Thank you. I will do it the day I get the keys and move in. I take it putting my US address down will be ok?
There is gas, electricity and water. Should I take pics of the meters and text the Landlord as well. I would assume that he was paying these bills whilst the property was empty?
Am I allowed to provide his address if the utlity company asks? 

US address is fine. Council won't care. As someone said previously they only care if your previous address is also in the same council area. 

If the utilities will be in your name, contact the current suppliers the day you move in, set up your own account for the address of the rental property and give the meter readings taken the day you move in. You need to give the utility companies the address of the rental property, no other address. The landlord should have taken his own readings the day before you moved in to close his account. You could send them to him as a courtesy but it's his responsibility to get the readings to close out his own account. Also, bear in mind, since you are paying the utilities you are free to choose your provider, you don't have to use the landlord's supplier. You can start the process of changing suppliers after you move in but it takes a few weeks so you'll need to stick with the current supplier until then.
If the landlord will be responsible for paying utilities you don't have to do anything.

Antbell85

UPDATE -  Can the Landlord do this?
The Landlord called me today and said he had registered me for Council Tax to start on the date of my contract. He said he didn't provide my previous address - just informed them online that I will move in.
What should I do? 

davidmcn

Antbell85 said:

UPDATE -  Can the Landlord do this?
The Landlord called me today and said he had registered me for Council Tax to start on the date of my contract. He said he didn't provide my previous address - just informed them online that I will move in.
What should I do?

You don't need to do anything if that ends up being the date your tenancy actually starts.

KatrinaWaves

Antbell85 said:

UPDATE -  Can the Landlord do this?
The Landlord called me today and said he had registered me for Council Tax to start on the date of my contract. He said he didn't provide my previous address - just informed them online that I will move in.
What should I do? 

What are you concerned about here?

Antbell85

KatrinaWaves said:

Antbell85 said:

UPDATE -  Can the Landlord do this?
The Landlord called me today and said he had registered me for Council Tax to start on the date of my contract. He said he didn't provide my previous address - just informed them online that I will move in.
What should I do? 

What are you concerned about here?

How can he not provide my full details? I don't want to do anything that looks like I am trying to hide something. 

Slithery

The only details needed to set up council tax are your name and address.

MaryNB

The council does not need your previous address. As mentioned several times they only care if you've lived in the council area previously! An issue over previous addresses only arises if you don't remove yourself from another property in the council area (not applicable to you) and add yourself to a second property and then become liable for tax in both properties. 

I'm the tenant in my flat that looks after the council tax and have been responsible for adding/removing 4 housemates in the last few years.  All I do is tell the council their full name and the date they moved in or moved out. Some don't leave a forwarding address when they leave so I leave it blank and just take their name off. It has never been an issue. As long as the names of the people living in the house are correct and the bill is paid in full, that is all that matters.

Will your name be on the council tax from day one of your occupancy? Will you pay the bill on time? That's all you need to worry about.