Council Tax query

badger09

Hope one of the resident experts can help.

We're hoping to complete sale of our home early Jan. Our previous vendor pulled out, we are unable to tie up new purchase with our sale so are breaking the chain.
Friend has offered temporary solution - move into furnished home of relative who is now in care home. Relative was single and has received/is receiving CT rebate.

No rent is being paid but we are covering all bills while we are there and basically looking after it for a few weeks and relieving friend of arduous 2.5 hour round trip to check property.  

We have no issue with paying CT but will it be fairly simple to take this on for what hopefully will be a very brief period?

davilown

Should be - just phone up the council and let them know when you arrive and when you leave

NameUnavailable

I'm not sure you need to bother as you're staying there as a guest rather than renting it.

badger09

NameUnavailable said:

I'm not sure you need to bother as you're staying there as a guest rather than renting it.

I did wonder about that, but would not want my friend, or her elderly relative to have any problems from the council over unpaid CT. And we will be using council services, just not sure for how long.

theartfullodger

Do the obvious, decent, thing.

Since the Tories cut council funding by 60% (yes, 60%!!) councils really really really need the money. 

You know, the old British traditions of decency and fair-play.

badger09

theartfullodger said:

Do the obvious, decent, thing.

Since the Tories cut council funding by 60% (yes, 60%!!) councils really really really need the money. 

You know, the old British traditions of decency and fair-play.

We fully intend to. My initial question was about how easy it was to do this for a potentially very brief period.

We have today exchanged on our sale and the vendors of the property we're buying are very(!) keen to complete quickly so they don't lose their purchase. Could be as short as 3 weeks. 

saajan_12

Paying for the short period for yourself should be pretty easy - just apply online to create an account, giving your start date. And then write / email / use online account to say you're leaving. You'll have your new property purchase date as indication of the date you moved out. 

The issue is really whether friend's relative will be able to reinstate their CT rebate once you leave. I'm not requirements etc for that, and whether the council could expect friend's relative to continue paying CT / letting the property out. 

As for 'doing the right thing', a couple of weeks worth of CT is what, £100? The time to arrange the paperwork to set up billing and then revert will likely cost the council more. Not relevant to the technical argument on whether its owed, but just for the 'moral' argument. 

CIS

The class E exemption should be able to be reinstated after you've left.

badger09

Thanks for all contributions. I will register for CT as soon as we move in on either 7th or 8th Jan.